By Martin Banks - 17th September 2009
Many will find this hard to believe
EU parliament source
Parliament has elected 17 chairmen to its 40 delegations during the plenary in Strasbourg.
The most contentious is that of Louis Michel, elected as chair of two delegations: to the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific countries) and Eurolat (Latin American countries).
Michel spent five years as the EU's commissioner for development and humanitarian aid and some see his election as a potential conflict of interest.
One parliamentary critic condemned the move, saying, "Many will find this hard to believe.
"They will be interested to know how parliament can appoint someone who has been involved in his job for the last five years to a post that might exercise parliamentary scrutiny of the commission?"
Michel, an ALDE member and senior Belgian politician, was known to have coveted the two posts which are sure to take him out of Brussels for much of the year.
Another key appointment, confirmed on Thursday, is that of French Green MEP Helene Flautre as head of the Turkey delegation. She will be closely involved in following negotiations on Turkey's possible EU membership.
Swedish EPP member Gunnar Hokmark was elected chair of the delegation to Croatia, another candidate country, while EPP heavyweight deputy Elmar Brok will chair the US delegation, one of the most-sought after posts.
Dutch member Bastiaan Belder will chair another key delegation, to Israel, while German centre right deputy Christian Ehler chairs the delegation to the Korean peninsula.
Spanish member Ramon Jauregui will chair the delegation to Mexico, Dutch deputy Emine Bozkurt to Central America and Pat Gallagher, an Irish member, to Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and the EEA states.
However, decisions on who will chair the delegations to China and India will not be taken until the week starting 28 September.
These are two of the most eagerly sought-after posts with the EPP and ALDE groups battling it out for the chairmanships.
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