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4 years ago

Who is who in the new European Parliament committees

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When we first floated the idea to publish a magazine on the committees of the European Parliament, enthusiasm was low. It couldn't be that interesting, could it? But the ones who thought this would be a dull exercise, were very wrong.

The Index AFET Foreign

The Index AFET Foreign Affairs Page 7 IMCO Internal Market and Consumer Protection Page 20 DROI Human Rights Page 8 TRAN Transport and Tourism Page 21 SEDE Security and Defence Page 9 REGI Regional Development Page 22 DEVE Development Page 10 AGRI Agriculture and Rural Development Page 23 INTA International Trade Page 11 PECH Fisheries Page 24 BUDG Budgets Page 12 CULT Culture and Education Page 25 CONT Budgetary Control Page 13 JURI Legal Affairs Page 26 ECON Economic and Monetary Affairs Page 14 LIBE Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Page 27 EMPL Employment and Social Affairs Page 15 AFCO Constitutional Affairs Page 28 ENVI Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Page 16 FEMM Women's Rights and Gender Equality Page 29 ITRE Industry, Research and Energy Page 18 PETI Petitions Page 30 06 — EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEES

AFET EU diplomacy 2.0 Foreign Affairs MEPs on the foreign affairs committee ought to be like second-tier EU diplomats on the Western Balkans and Russia, according to its German chairman, but foreign policy splits could bedevil its work. By Andrew Rettman MEPs on the foreign affairs committee (AFET) ought to be like second-tier EU diplomats on the Western Balkans and Russia in the next five years, according to its German chairman, David McAllister. They should also help forge an EU "Weltpolitikfähigkeit" ('world-politics capability') vis-a-vis the US and China, he said. But AFET contains the same divisions that have held back member states from acting together, its Polish deputy chairman indicated. The European Parliament has no decision-making powers on EU foreign policy, which member states do by unanimity. But AFET MEPs have in the past "played a prominent role in parliamentary diplomacy, including in mediation and conflict prevention" and the EP's "diplomacy role should be strengthened" in the new legislature, McAllister said. MEPs should support Western Balkans enlargement, promote democracy in former Soviet countries, push for implementation of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal, and help develop EU strategy on the Middle East and Africa and on counter-terrorism and migration, he said. AFET deputies should also "promote multilateralism and a global rules-based order", the German added. EU-US relations had faced "challenges and disruptions", but must be fixed, and EU-China ambitions must not forget "human rights", he noted. If AFET helped the EU emerge as "a global leader", that would be its biggest achievement, McAllister said. But issues such as reforming EU foreign policy unanimity, getting along with US president Donald Trump, and Russia could be "controversial", the German politician warned. Germany's David McAllister (l), chair of the committee, here seen with Angela Merkel. Photo: CDU Niedersachsen And EU gripes on Trump should not be used to mask that reality, he added. "Some see Trump as more of a danger than [Russian president Vladimir] Putin, to marginalise the Russian threat, and that is not acceptable to us," he said. Poland was unlikely to give up its foreign policy veto in the EU Council for the sake of "Weltpolitikfähigkeit", in a position he justified. "This is not a cultural problem, or a community problem, it's a matter of national security," he said. But the divisions also had ideological roots, his comments suggested. "Federalism is a recipe for catastrophe," Waszczykowski said. McAllister's German chancellor Angela Merkel opened EU doors to refugees in 2015, but that was a mistake because "the next wave could be even bigger" and we "have to stop such an invasion", the AFET deputy chair said. And member states' divisions were replicated inside AFET, its deputy chair, former Polish foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski, indicated. Speaking out on Russia's "open conflict" against Ukraine and on the need for Russia sanctions should be the committee's top priority, Waszczykowski said, in a narrower threat assessment. AFET coordinators are: Michael Gahler (EPP, Germany), Tonino Picula, (S&D, Croatia), Hilde Vautmans (Renew, Belgium), Reinhard Bütikofer (Greens/EFA, Germany), Thierry Mariani (ID, France), Anna Fotyga (ECR, Poland) and Idoia Villanueva Ruiz (GUE/NGL, Spain) and Manu Pineda (GUE/NGL, Spain). EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEES — 07

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