All new committee chairs in the EU Parliament. For Italy, Decaro (PD) and Tridico (M5S)

Brussels – Everything went as predicted on the eve of the election of the top positions of the committees and subcommittees at the EU Parliament, both in terms of the ambitions of the Italians and in terms of holding the cordon sanitaire against the far-right Patriots for Europe group (Europe of Sovereign Nations did not even try to enter the race for chairmanship and vice-chairmanship). The former mayor of Bari elected to the EU Parliament from the ranks of the Democratic Party, Antonio Decaro, is the new chairman of the committee Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), while the former president of the INPS and MEP of the 5-Star Movement, Pasquale Tridico, of the Tax Matters (FISC) subcommittee.

Of the 96 vice presidents of the 20 committees and 4 subcommittees in parliament –except for a few posts yet to be filled in upcoming meetings– 12 Italians were elected this morning (July 23). For the Democratic Party there are Giorgio Gori (ITRE), Giuseppe Lupo (BUDG), Matteo Ricci (TRAN) and Alessandro Zan (LIBE), for Fratelli d’Italia Elena Donazzan (ITRE), Alberico Gambino (AFET and SEDE), Pietro Fiocchi (ENVI), Mario Mantovani (JURI), Giuseppe Milazzo (PECH) and Francesco Ventola (REGI). For Forza Italia Caterina Chinnici (CONT) was elected and for Green Europe, Cristina Guarda (PETI). The only jitters in several committees were those related to the rejection of French, Spanish, and Dutch candidates proposed by Patriots for Europe (of which the League is a member), the third largest group in the tenth legislature of the EU Parliament but excluded from the constitutional perimeter from the others in the majority and non-majority.

“We must not lose sight of the sense of the extraordinary challenges we face,” were the words of the PD’s Decaro as chairman of the ENVI Commission. “There is not only the future of our continent at stake, but also a new global approach to the planet resource.” The former mayor of Bari made it clear that “the goal of fully achieving the new Green Deal is certainly an ambitious challenge, but not impossible,” and his work will start from what has been achieved during the previous term of the EU Parliament because “there is no reason to go back. If something needs to be improved, we will do it, but we need to give certainties and make clear commitments.” Decaro concluded his speech by quoting Ernest Hemingway: “The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for. It is up to us to play our part in this civil struggle for the future.”

From the head delegation of the M5S at the EU Parliament and newly appointed chair of the FISC subcommittee, the hope is to “work concretely, efficiently, and effectively, focusing on important issues that go beyond the smoky landscape of politics.” The former president of the INPS praised the “excellent” work done during the previous term of the EU Parliament by the committee he now chairs, “considering that we started from scratch.” However, now is the time to pick up speed: “We know that tax policy is a national issue, but we also know that there are multinational aspects, and we have room to improve the harmonization of our policy in this area,” is the wish of the newly appointed chairman of the FISC subcommittee.

All chairs and vice-chairs of the parliamentary committees

Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET)

Development Committee (DEVE)

Chair: Barry Andrews (Renew, Ireland)

Vice Chair: Isabella Lövin (Greens/Ale, Sweden), Hildegard Bentele (EPP, Germany), Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew, Sweden), Robert Biedroń (S&D, Poland)

Budgetary Control Committee (CONT)

Chairt: Niclas Herbst (EPP, Germany)

Vice-chairs: Caterina Chinnici (EPP, Italy),Cristian Terheș (ECR, Romania), Claudiu Manda (S&D, Romania). The fourth vice-chair will be elected at a future committee meeting.

Economic and Monetary Problems Committee (ECON)

Chair: Aurore Lalucq (S&D, France)

Vice-chairs: Damian Boeselager (Greens/ Ale, Germany), Ľudovít Ódor (Renew, Slovakia), Luděk Niedermayer (EPP, Czech Republic). The fourth vice-chair will be elected at a future committee meeting.

Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL)

Chair: Li Andersson (The Left, Finland)

Vice-chairs: Johan Danielsson (S&D, Sweden), Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak (EPP, Poland), Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/Ale, Germany). The fourth vice chair will be elected at a future committee meeting.

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI)

Chair: Antonio Decaro (S&D, Italy)

Vice chairs: Esther Herranz García (EPP, Spain), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR, Italy), Anja Hazekamp (The Left, Netherlands), András Tivadar Kulja (EPP, Hungary)

Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE)

Chair: Borys Budka (EPP, Poland)

Vice chairs: Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D, Bulgaria), Elena Donazzan (ECR, Italy), Giorgio Gori (S&D, Italy), Yvan Verougstraete (Renew, Belgium)

Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO)

Chair: Anna Cavazzini (Greens/Ale, Germany)

Vice chairs: Christian Doleschal (EPP, Germany), Nikola Minchev (Renew, Bulgaria), Maria Grapini (S&D, Romania), Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz (EPP, Poland)

Transportation and Tourism Committee (TRAN)

Chair: Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi (EPP, Greece)

Vice chair: Virginijus Sinkevičius (Greens/ALE, Lithuania), Sophia Kircher (EPP, Austria), Elena Kountoura (The Left, Greece), Matteo Ricci (S&D, Italy).

Regional Development Committee (REGI)

Chair: Adrian-Dragoş Benea (S&D, Romania)

Vice chairs: Gabriella Gerzsenyi (EPP, Hungary), Nora Mebarek (S&D, France), Francesco Ventola (ECR, Italy), Ľubica Karvašová (Renew, Slovakia)

Agriculture and Rural Development Committee (AGRI)

Chair: Veronika Vrecionová (Ecr, Czech Republic)

Vice-chairs: Daniel Buda (EPP, Romania), Norbert Lins (EPP, Germany), Eric Sargiacomo (S&D, France). The fourth vice chair will be elected at a future committee meeting.

Fisheries Commission (Pech): Carmen Crespo Díaz (Ppe, Spain)

Vice presidents: Sander Smit (EPP, Netherlands), Giuseppe Milazzo (Ecr, Italy), Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Renew, France), Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, Sweden)

Culture and Education Committee (CULT)

Chair: Nela Riehl (Greens/Ale, Germany)

Vice chairs: Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (EPP, Poland), Emma Rafowicz (S&D, France), Diana Riba I Giner (Greens/Ale, Spain), Hristo Petrov (Renew, Bulgaria)

Legal Committee (JURI)

Chair: Ilhan Kyuckyuk (Renew, Bulgaria)

Vice chairs: Marion Walsmann (EPP, Germany),Mario Mantovani (ECR, Italy), Lara Wolters (S&D, Netherlands), Emil Radev (EPP, Bulgaria)

Civil Liberties, Justice and Internal Affairs Committee (LIBE)

Chair: Javier Zarzalejos (EPP, Spain)

Vice chairs: Marina Kaljurand (S&D, Estonia), Charlie Weimers (Ecr, Sweden), Alessandro Zan (S&D, Italy), Estrella Galán (The Left, Spain)

Constitutional Affairs Committee (AFCO)

Chair: Sven Simon (EPP, Germany)

Vice chairs: Gabriele Bischoff (S&D, Germany), Adrián Vazquez Lazara (EPP, Spain), Charles Goerens (Renew, Luxembourg), Péter Magyar (EPP, Hungary)

Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM)

Chair: Lina Gálvez (S&D, Spain)

Vice chairs: Dainius Žalimas (Renew, Lithuania), Irene Montero (The Left, Spain), Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (EPP, Spain), Predrag Fred Matić (S&D, Croatia)

Petitions Committee (PETI)

Chair: Bogdan Rzońca (ECR, Poland)

Vice chairs: Dolors Montserrat (EPP, Spain), Fredis Beleris (EPP, Greece), Nils Ušakovs (S&D, Latvia), Cristina Guarda (Greens/Ale, Italy)

Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI)

Chair: Mounir Satouri (Greens/Ale, France)

Vice-chairs: Marta Temido (S&D, Portugal), Łukasz Kohut (EPP, Poland). The third and fourth vice presidents will be elected at a future committee meeting.

Subcommittee on Security and Defense  (SEDE)

Chair: Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Renew, Germany)

Vice chairs: Christophe Gomart (EPP, France), Mihai Tudose (S&D, Romania), Alberico Gambino (ECR, Italy), Riho Terras (EPP, Estonia)

Subcommittee on Fiscal Matters (FISC)

Chair: Pasquale Tridico (The Left, Italy)

Vice chairs: Kira Peter Hansen (Greens/Ale, Denmark), Regina Doherty (EPP, Ireland), Markus Ferber (EPP, Germany), Matthias Ecke (S&D, Germany).

Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT)

Chair: Adam Jarubas (EPP, Poland)

Vice chairs: Tilly Metz (Greens/Ale, Luxembourg), Stine Bosse (Renew, Denmark), Romana Jerković (S&D, Croatia), Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR, Greece)