Brussels, 12/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The MEPs standing down, as well as the decisions made by the political parties during the constitution of the lists and the choices that will be made by voters in less than a month, will all profoundly change the European Parliament. This is a non-exhaustive list of MEPs who are leaving the EP:
Greens/European Free Alliance: Angelika Beer, MEP from Germany since 2004, Chairwoman of the delegation for relations with Iran, and equally very active on defence questions; Kathalijne Buitenweg, MEP from the Netherlands since 1999; Friedrich-Wilhelm Graefe zu Baringdorf, MEP from Germany 1984 - 1987 and from 1989, founding member (1980), Chairman of the “Rural Agriculture Group” since 1996, Chairman of the agriculture and rural committee 1999 - 2002; Marie Anne Isler Béguin - MEP from France 1991 - 1994 and since 1999, Vice Chairwoman of the European Parliament 1991 - 1994, co-founder of the European Federation of Green Parties in 1993 and then of the European Green Party in 2004; Pierre Jonckheer, MEP from Germany since 1999, Vice Chairman of the European Greens; Joost Lagendijk, MEP from the Netherlands since 1998, Chairman of the delegation to the joint EU-Turkey parliamentary committee since 2002; Alain Lipietz, MEP from France since 1999, Chairman of the delegation for relations with countries from the Andean community, Chairman of the “international trade and sustainable development” inter-group; Gerard Onesta, MEP from France from 1991 - 1994 and since 1999, Vice Chairman of the European Parliament since 1999, founder of the young European ecologists; Cem Özdemir, MEP from Germany since 2004, Johannes Voggenhuber, MEP from Austria since 1995, Vice Chairman of the constitutional affairs committee and member of the European Convention.
Party of European Socialists: Maria Berger - MEP from Austria since November 1996 - January 2007; Hannes Swoboda, MEP from Austria since 1996, Vice Chairman of the PES Group; Philippe Busquin, MEP from Belgium, Chairman of the STOA, former European Commissioner for research; Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, MEP from Denmark and former Danish Prime Minister from 1993 - 2001 and current chairman of the PES; Reino Paasilinna, MEP from Finland since 1996, Chairman of the information society working group since 1998, Vice Chairman of the delegation to the EU-Russia parliamentary cooperation committee, Coordinator of the PES at the industry, research and energy committee since 2004, Vice Chairman of the International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT), Vice Chairman of the European Broadcasting Union EBU (OIRT),1992 -1994; Marie-Noëlle Lienemann, MEP from France 1984 - 1988, from 1997 - 2001 and since 2004, Vice Chairwoman of the European Parliament from 1999 - 2001; Gilles Savary, MEP from France since 1999, Vice Chairman of the transport committee 1999 - 2004 and Chairman of the European Parliament's Sky and Space inter-group 2000 - 2004; Bernard Poignant, MEP from France since 1999, Chairman of the French socialist delegations to the European Parliament since 2004; Lissy Gröner, MEP from Germany since 1989; Klaus Hänsch, MEP from Germany since 1979 and former President of the European Parliament from 1994 - 1997; Jan Marinus Wiersma, MEP from the Netherlands since 1994, Vice Chairman of the PES; Gary Titley, MEP from the United Kingdom since 1989; Glenys Kinnock, MEP from the United Kingdom since 1994, Co-chairwoman of the delegations to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the ACP-EU since 2002; Enrique Baron Crespo, MEP from Spain since 1986 and former President of the European Parliament; Josep Borrel, MEP from Spain since 2004, former President of the EP, former minister and member of the European Convention.
GUE/NGL: Francis Wurtz, MEP from France since 1979, Chairman of the GUE/NGL since 1999, Vice Chairman of the EP's development committee; Sylvia-Yvonne Kaufmann, MEP from Germany since 1999, Vice Chairwoman of the European Parliament from 2004 - 2007, Vice Chairwoman of the delegation for relations with Japan, Vice Chairwoman of the GUE/NGL's Confederal group, and also a member of the European Convention; Helmuth Markov, MEP from Germany since 1999, Chairman of the international trade committee; Luisa Morgantini, MEP from Italy since 1999, Chairwoman of the delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council 1999 - 2004, Chairwoman of the development committee 2004 - 2007, Vice President of the EP since 2007; Esko Seppänen MEP from Finland.
EPP-ED: Karl von Wogau, MEP from Germany since 1979, Chairman of the defence and security sub-committee, Co-founder and Chairman of the Kangaroo Group since 1979, Chairman of the economic and monetary committee from1994 - 1999; Gerardo Galeote, MEP from Spain since 1994, acting head of the Popular Party's head of delegation, Chairman of the regional development committee; Margie Sudre, MEP from France since 1999, former Chairwoman of the Regional Council for la Réunion and former minister; Hartmut Nassauer, MEP from Germany since 1994, Chairman of the delegation for relations with members of ASEAN, South East Asia and South Korea; Nicole Fontaine, MEP from France from 1984 - 2002 and since 2004, Vice-President of the European Parliament from 1989 - 1999, President of the European Parliament from 1999 - 2002; Patrick Gaubert, MEP from France since 2004, Deputy Chairman of the human rights sub-committee, President of the Ligue internationale contre le racisme et l'antisémitisme since 1999; John Bowis, MEP from the UK since 1999, former Chairman of the environment committee, very active on all health issues; Avril Doyle MEP from Ireland since 1999; Jas Gawronski MEP from Italy from 1981 - 1994 and since 1999; Ingo Friedrich, MEP from Germany since 1979.
ALDE: Philippe Morillon, MEP from France since 1999, Chairman of the fisheries committee, also very active on issue of cooperation and development; Jules Maaten, MEP from the Netherlands since 1999; Emma Nicholson, MEP from the UK since 1999; Paolo Costa, MEP from Italy since 1999, Chairman of the transport committee; Lydie Polfer, MEP from Luxembourg. (E.M./O.J./transl.rh/rt))