Brussels, 24/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 23 May, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (EPP-ED, Spain) was elected co-president of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EUROLAT). He obtained 31 votes and beat Claudio Fava (PES, Italy) by three votes in an election that brought together around 60 MEPs from the European delegation. EUROLAT is expected to be meeting up in Portugal in the second half of 2007 during the Portuguese presidency of the EU.
Set up last November, the Assembly includes 120 members from the EP, Euro-Latin American Parliament, the Central American Parliament and the Andean Parliament, as well as members from the Joint Mercosur Parliamentary Committee and MPs from the Mexican and Chilean Parliaments (EUROPE 9304). His members will be working in three specific committees in charge of: political affairs, including human rights; economic and trade issues; social affairs, environment and culture. 60 Latin-American parliamentarians now have to elect the second co-president of EUROLAT: (http: //http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/eurolat/default_es.htm ) (mb).