The Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament finalised the list of 27 intergroups on Thursday 19 December, confirming the provisional list agreed at the beginning of December (see EUROPE 12382/18).
The intergroups that have received sufficient signatures are as follows: – 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, biodiversity and sustainable development; – Competitive European Industry: long-term and sustainable investment; – Demographic challenges, family-work balance and youth transitions; - Disability; – European cultural heritage, ways of St. James and other European cultural routes; – Fighting against poverty; – Freedom of religion or belief and religious tolerance; – Green New Deal; – LGBTI rights; – Rural, mountainous and remote areas and smart villages; – 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 food stuffs.
During the meeting of the Conference of Presidents on Thursday 19 December, there were several discussions on the possibility of adding new intergroups. However, Parliament President David Sassoli is reported to have objected, arguing that intergroups are governed by Parliament’s internal rules and that the number of signatures provided for in the rules had to be respected.
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)