On Monday 23 January, the MEPs will start the process of voting for the presidencies and vice-presidencies of the 20 parliamentary committees and parliamentary sub-committees of the European Parliament. The terms for the positions last until the end of the legislative period 2014-2019.
According to a document of which EUROPE had sight on Friday 20 January, five parliamentary committees will have a new president.
The following have been elected: - committee on foreign affairs (AFET): David McAllister (EPP, Germany) will take over from Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany); - committee on agriculture (AGRI): Czesław Adam Siekierski (EPP, Poland); - committee on budgets (BUDG): Jean Arthuis (ALDE, France); - committee on culture (CULT): Petra Kammerevert (S&D, Germany) will take over from Silvia Costa (S&D, Italy); - committee on development (DEVE): Linda McAvan (S&D, UK); - committee on economic and monetary affairs (ECON): Roberto Gualtieri (S&D, Italy); - committee on employment (EMPL): Thomas Händel (GUE/NGL, Germany); - committee on the environment (ENVI): Adina-Ioana Vălean (EPP, Romania) will take over from Giovanni La Via (EPP, Italy); - committee on the single market and consumer protection (IMCO): Vicky Ford (ECR, UK); - committee on trade (INTA): Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany); - committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE): Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland); - committee on legal affairs (JURI): Pavel Svoboda (EPP, Czech Republic); - committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE): Claude Moraes (S&D, UK); - committee on fisheries (PECH): Alain Cadec (EPP, France); - committee on regional development (REGI): Iskra Mihaylova (ALDE, Bulgaria); - committee on transport and tourism (TRAN): Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France) will take over from Michael Cramer (Greens/EFA, Germany); - committee on constitutional affairs (AFCO): Danuta Hübner (EPP, Poland); - committee on budgetary control (CONT): Ingeborg Gräßle (EPP, Germany); - committee on petitions (PETI): Cecilia Wikström (ALDE, Sweden); - committee on women's rights and gender equality (FEMM): Vilija Blinkevičiūtė (S&D, Lithuania); - committee on security and defence (SEDE): Anna Fotyga (ECR, Poland); - committee on human rights (DROI): Pier Antonio Panzeri (S&D, Italy) will take over from Elena Valenciano (S&D, Spain).
Gender diversity not systematically respected
According to this document, the ECON and BUDG committees will have bureaus entirely made up of male MEPs. However, the statutes of the European Parliament (article 204) does not allow the bureau of any parliamentary committee to be exclusively male or female or all vice-presidents to come from the same member state. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)