Following the appointment of Adina-Ioana Vălean (EPP, Romania) as European Commissioner for Transport, the position of Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is expected to be vacant, if the candidate is confirmed in her new position by the European Parliament.
For the time being, the chair of the committee is held by the first vice-president Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Poland). But, if Mrs Vălean is confirmed by the European Parliament as Transport Commissioner, the ITRE Committee will have to hold a constituent meeting to appoint its new chair. If only one candidate were to run - which we are told should be the case - the new chair would be elected by acclamation.
It should be noted that the d’Hondt rule should be observed. The next chair will probably have to come from the EPP group, and also from the Romanian delegation. Thus, among the expected candidates, Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romania) is at the top of the list. He is only an alternate member of the ITRE committee. That would not be a problem, we are told. Similarly, the issue of gender parity would not arise, as the committee’s bureau already includes two women and two men. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)