Brussels, 22/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - The parliamentary committees of the European Parliament were to have elected (or re-elected) their presidents(s) of the Parliamentary committees this week, but a formal decision is not expected until the mini-plenary session of the 31 January and 1 February. If there is an agreement between the political groups of the EP not to change the political "colours" of the presidents of the Parliamentary committees, discussions have nonetheless taken place within the political groups themselves in order to decide upon the nationality of the future president(s) of the Parliamentary committees.
The discussions are well underway within the Christian Democrat group, which has been chaired since the beginning of the year by Joseph Daul (EPP-ED, France). Under the D'Hondt system used to divide up duties within the European institution, the Polish and Czech delegations have priority for the allocation of the chairs of the Parliamentary committees held by the EPP-ED group. Jacez Saryusz-Wolski of Poland and the Czech Miroslav Ouský have requested respectively the chair of the committee on foreign affairs, which has been in the hands of German member Elmar Brok for 10 years, and that of the committee of the environment, currently held by another German, Karl-Heinz Florenz.
According to certain sources close to the EPP-ED group, a solution is close to being found and may be announced on "Thursday". This solution may, amongst other things, be based on compensation granted to the Polish delegation, should it not get the committee it has asked for. Mr Saryusz-Wolski will apparently not be acceding to the presidency of the committee on foreign affairs, but he will be offered the vice-presidency of the EPP-ED group. The Polish press had reported the intervention of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is said to have telephoned Mr Saryusz-Wolski personally in order to convince him to renounce this ambition. It is rumoured that his compatriot Janusz Lewandowski will remain in place as president of the committee on budgets.
For the Socialist group, the situation is likely to remain largely unchanged: French member Pervenche Berès will continue as president of the committee on economic and monetary affairs, and it will be the same for the committees on the internal market and on constitutional affairs. (mb)