La Via elected President of the Environment Commitee: “GMOs and Climate Change our first concerns”

Giovanni La Via is the President of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. Elected by acclamation, the MEP from Nuovo Controdestra has filled the slot for Italian EPP members. In presenting his candidacy, Peter Liese (Populars) defined La Via as “a very active MEP, who had worked as Rapporteur for the Multi-Year Budget and for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) during the latest term,” a politician “who is used to work hard and has a remarkable knowledge” and who is member of a party “which is part of the current Italian government, a good perspective in view of the Italian Presidency Semester.”

“I will be glad to lead this Committee, the biggest in terms of members and examined dossiers during the latest mandate,” said La Via to eunews immediately after his election. “The first provisions we are discussing,” added La Via, “will deal with plastic containers and climate change, dossiers we inherited from the latest term. Then, the authorisation for GMOs urged by the Commission, on which I can easily foresee a hard fight.”

As for the other Committees, even for Environment the EFDD group, led by Farage and to which the Five Stars Movement MEPs belong, was denied the Vice Presidency. Still, the first candidate was suitable for the office: Valentinas Mazuronis, is in fact former Environment Minister in Lithuania even during the rotating Semester, when Lithuania was in office. Margrete Aukenn, Greens MEP, jauntily protested, saying “this is not fair, it is detrimental to our credibility and threatening for the electorate.”

“How could it be possible for EFDD MEPs to first turn their backs during the anthem and then request to be taken seriously?” said a lapidary Liese, EPP MEP, talking about the theatrical protest played by UKIP MEPs during the first Plenary. Liense has then aimed a jab at the Greens too: “This is not the first time we do not respect the D’Hont method, which is just a tool helping us in allocating offices. It happened last week for instance, when the Greens chose not to vote an EFDD candidate for the EP Vice Presidency, a choice shared with us and commented positively by numerous MEPs of that group.” 5SM MEPs had not given up after the voting intentions, and after their first exclusion went on protesting and proposing their candidates for the Vice Presidency – Marco Affronte and Eleonora Evi – forcing their colleagues to vote. Each votation was against them though.