The European Parliament political groups reportedly agreed on a series of 27 parliamentary intergroups on Tuesday morning, 3 December. This list has now been submitted for signature between the parliamentary groups for decision by the Conference of Presidents on Thursday 12 December.
The following is a list of intergroups that should receive at least the support of three political groups in order to be set up: – Anti-corruption; – Anti-racism and diversity; – Artificial intelligence and Digital; – Biodiversity, hunting and countryside; – Cancer; – Children’s rights; – Christians in the Middle East; – Climate change and sustainable development; – European industry competitive in the long term and sustainable investments; – Demographic issues, family-work balance and youth transitions; – Disability; – Cultural heritage, Way of St. James and other European cultural routes; – Fight against poverty; – Freedom of religion and belief and religious tolerance; – Green New Deal; – LGBTI rights; – Rural, mountainous and remote areas; – SEARICA, seas, rivers, islands and coastal areas; – Sky and space; – SMEs; – Social economy; – Trade Unions; – Traditional minorities, National communities and Languages; – Urban; – Welfare and conservation of animals; – Western Sahara; – Wine, spirits and quality foodstuffs.
Priorities of the political groups
Last week the political groups internally defined their priorities for forming the political intergroups.
As a reminder, intergroups require at minimum the support of three political groups to be set up. This is an important parameter since the number of signatures available to each political group is calculated according to the number of seats available to it. Thus, the EPP can support 21 intergroups, S&D 18, Renew Europe 13, Greens/EFA 8, ID 8, ECR 7 and GUE/NGL 4.
Thus, the EPP expressed itself for the following intergroups (in descending order, according to the number of votes received): – 1) Cancer; – 2) SMEs; – 3) Wine, spirits and quality foodstuffs; – 4) Disability; – 5) Sky and space; – 6) Sports; – 7) Digital agenda; - 8) Artificial intelligence; – 9) Biodiversity, hunting and countryside; – 10) Urban; – 11) Culture and creative industries; – 12) Children’s rights; – 13) European industry 2030; – 14) Climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development; – 15) Enlargement; –16) Cross-border cooperation; – 17) Cultural heritage, Way of St. James and other European cultural routes; – 18) Freedom of religion and belief and religious tolerance; – 19) Memory for the future; – 20) Sustainable tourism; – 21) Demographic issues, family-work balance and transitions among youth.
The S&D took a position in favour of intergroups: – 1) Anti-racism and diversity; – 2) Disability; – 3) Green New Deal; – 4) Fight against poverty; – 5) Public services and services of general interest; – 6) LGBTI rights; – 7) Rural, mountainous and remote areas and smart villages; – 8) Trade Unions; – 9) Youth; – 10) Children’s rights; – 11) Social economy; – 12) SEARICA - seas, rivers, islands and coastal areas; – 13) Spinelli Group; – 14) Climate change; – 15) Democracy, citizens and media; – 16) Western Sahara; – 17) Anti- corruption; – 18) Long-term and sustainable investments.
Renew Europe has chosen: – 1) Disability; – 2) Children’s rights; – 3) Climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development; – 4) LGBTI rights; – 5) SMEs; – 6) Sky and space; – 7) Fair competition in international trade and investment; – 8) Artificial intelligence; – 9) SEARICA - seas, rivers, islands and coastal areas; – 10) Long-term and sustainable investments; – 11) Anti- corruption; – 12) Wine, spirits and quality foodstuffs; – 13) Youth.
The Greens/EFA: – 1) Anti-racism and diversity; – 2) LGBTI rights; – 3) Green New Deal; – 4) Welfare of animals; – 5) Anti-corruption; – 6) Climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development; – 7) Commercial Union; – 8) Children’s rights.
The ECR group, for its part, has taken a position in favour of: – 1) Freedom of religion or belief and religious tolerance; – 2) Schuman Intergroup (defence of Judeo-Christian values and promotion of Christianity, freedom, solidarity, diversity and patriotism); – 3) Biodiversity, hunting and countryside; – 4) Cultural heritage, Way of St. James and other European cultural routes; –5) Demographic issues, family-work balance and youth transitions; – 6) Sky and space; –7) SMEs.
The GUE/NGL has chosen among its first 4 priorities: – 1) Trade Unions; – 2) Western Sahara; – 3) Animal health and welfare; – 4) Green New Deal.
The Identity and Democracy group expressed its preference for the following intergroups (the hierarchy was not communicated to us, however): - Biodiversity, hunting and countryside; - Christians in the Middle East; - Family; - Rural, mountainous and remote areas and smart villages; - Traditional minorities, national communities and languages; - Wines, spirits and quality foodstuffs; - Artificial intelligence and digital.
Intergroups are not official Parliament bodies, but rather forums for discussion and exchange between MEPs on a given subject. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens with Hermine Donceel)