Brussels, 26/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - The president of the Committee of the Regions, Ramon Luis Valcarcel Siso, is reportedly preparing to campaign in the European elections. If he is elected as an MEP in May, he will give up his position as the head of this advisory body.
Valcarcel is also the president of the Spanish region of Murcia and is apparently confident that he will be able to join the ranks of the EPP at the European Parliament. If this proves so, his mandate as head of the Committee of the Regions will be cut short. Valcarcel's term of office is supposed to continue until February 2015. A new president of the Committee of the Regions would therefore have to be appointed after elections at the European Parliament. The new person would still come from the EPP, in view of the agreement on alternating the post with the Socialist group at the Committee of the Regions. The current president of the EPP at the CoR, Michael Schneider from Germany, appears to be the natural successor. If a new president has to be appointed, CoR members will have to approve him/her at the plenary session on 25 June. The new president would therefore only be in charge for just over six months. (MD)