The Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and former President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani (EPP, Italy), was elected by acclamation to head up the Conference of Committee Chairs of the European Parliament on Tuesday 23 July in Brussels.
It was only after the painful election of Lucia Nicholsonová (ECR, Slovakia) as Chair of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (see EUROPE 12299/8) that the Conference of Committee Chairs was able to hold its constituent meeting. Last week, the constitution of this internal European Parliament body was postponed following the double rejection of the candidacy of former Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło (see EUROPE 12296/28, EUROPE 12293/3).
Now operational, the conference can hear from Romania's Mircea Pașcu and Estonia's Kadri Simson, the two commissioners who are candidates for the posts that have been left vacant by Corina Crețu and Andrus Ansip, who have now taken up seats in the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12297/4). We have been told that both hearings will probably be held on 9 and 10 September. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)