Committees of the European Parliament

A committee room in the Parliament

The committees of the European Parliament are designed to aid the European Commission in initiating legislation.

Standing committees are made up of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who are directly elected to the seats in the European Parliament by the electorate. Each committee has a chair and four vice-chairs, along with numerous committee members. Each committee also has substitute members.

Reports are usually compiled by a rapporteur, who is appointed by the chair of the committee, selected from amongst the members or permanent substitutes.

Appointment

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The established system for the appointment of committee chairs follows the D'Hondt method.[1]

Legislative reports

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In the process of proposing and drafting legislation, the European Commission will consult the various standing committees during the codecision procedure, and these committees will advise the commission by producing reports, proposing amendments to the draft legislation, and providing, if necessary, a drafted legislative resolution.

In the event of at least one-tenth of the members objecting to any particular amendment, the amendment will be put to a vote at the committee's next meeting.

Similarly, unless at least one-tenth of committee members object, committees can also pass legislation back to the commission without amendments.

Non-legislative reports

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Committees are also able to produce non-legislative reports. The appointed rapporteur is responsible for preparing the report, and presenting it to Parliament on the committee's behalf. These reports must include a motion for a resolution, an explanatory statement, and must also outline financial implications.

Own-initiative reports

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Committees can also produce reports relevant to their competence, without having to be consulted. These are called "Own-Initiative Reports", and are used to submit a motion for a resolution.

Before drawing up any such report, a committee must obtain the permission of the Conference of Presidents. The Conference of Presidents has two months to make a decision, and any reasons for withholding permission must always be stated.

Cross-committee co-operation

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When drawing up a report, a committee may ask the opinion of another committee on the matter, particularly if it is felt that a proposed amendment would fall into the interests of another committee. The committee asked for an opinion will be named as such in the final report. The chair and drafter of the secondary committee may be invited to take part in any committee discussions held by the primary committee, where the meeting deals with the matter that the secondary committee is advising on.

Amendments that are proposed by the secondary committee will be voted on by the committee responsible for producing the report.

If the Conference of Presidents decides that a requested report falls equally to two committees, both committees will agree upon a joint timetable, and shall work together in producing the report.

List of standing committees

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This is a list of standing committees along with the respective chairperson as of July 2024.

Committee Members Chair Vice Chairs
1st half of term
(2024-2027)
2nd half of term
(2027-2029)
1st half of term
(2024-2027)
2nd half of term
(2027-2029)
Committee on Foreign Affairs AFET 79 EPP David McAllister  GER S&D Hana Jalloul  ESP
RE Urmas Paet  EST
ECR Alberico Gambino  ITA
EPP Ioan-Rareș Bogdan  ROM
Subcommittee on Security and Defence SEDE 30 RE Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann  GER EPP Christophe Gomart  FRA
S&D Mihai Tudose  ROM
ECR Alberico Gambino  ITA
EPP Riho Terras  EST
Subcommittee on Human Rights DROI 30 G/EFA Mounir Satouri  FRA S&D Marta Temido  POR
EPP Łukasz Kohut  POL
Vacant
Vacant
Committee on Development DEVE 25 RE Barry Andrews  IRE G/EFA Isabella Lövin  SWE
EPP Hildegard Bentele  GER
RE Abir Al-Sahlani  SWE
S&D Robert Biedroń  POL
Committee on International Trade INTA 43 S&D Bernd Lange  GER LEFT Manon Aubry  FRA
EPP Iuliu Winkler  ROM
RE Karin Karlsbro  SWE
S&D Kathleen Van Brempt  BEL
Committee on Budgets BUDG 40 ECR Johan Van Overtveldt  BEL EPP Monika Hohlmeier  GER
S&D Giuseppe Lupo  ITA
EPP Janusz Lewandowski  POL
RE Lucia Yar  SVK
Committee on Budgetary Control CONT 30 EPP Niclas Herbst  GER EPP Caterina Chinnici  ITA
ECR Cristian Terheș  ROM
S&D Claudiu Manda  ROM
Vacant
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs ECON 60 S&D Aurore Lalucq  FRA G/EFA Damian Boeselager  NED
RE Ľudovít Ódor  SVK
EPP Luděk Niedermayer  CZE
Vacant
Subcommittee on Tax Matters FISC 30 LEFT Pasquale Tridico  ITA G/EFA Kira Marie Peter-Hansen  DEN
EPP Regina Doherty  IRE
EPP Markus Ferber  GER
S&D Matthias Ecke  GER
Committee on Employment and Social Affairs EMPL 60 LEFT Li Andersson  FIN S&D Johan Danielsson  SWE
EPP Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak  POL
G/EFA Katrin Langensiepen  GER
Vacant
Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety ENVI 90 S&D Antonio Decaro  ITA EPP Esther Herranz García  ESP
ECR Pietro Fiocchi  ITA
LEFT Anja Hazekamp  NED
EPP András Tivadar Kulja  HUN
Subcommittee on Public Health SANT 30 EPP Adam Jarubas  POL G/EFA Tilly Metz  LUX
RE Stine Bosse  DEN
S&D Romana Jerković  CRO
ECR Emmanouil Fragkos  GRE
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy ITRE 90 EPP Borys Budka  POL S&D Tsvetelina Penkova  BUL
ECR Elena Donazzan  ITA
S&D Giorgio Gori  ITA
RE Yvan Verougstraete  BEL
Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection IMCO 52 G/EFA Anna Cavazzini  GER EPP Christian Doleschal  GER
RE Nikola Minchev  BUL
S&D Maria Grapini  ROM
EPP Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz  POL
Committee on Transport and Tourism TRAN 46 EPP Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi  GRE G/EFA Virginijus Sinkevičius  LIT
EPP Sophia Kircher  AUT
LEFT Elena Kountoura  GRE
S&D Matteo Ricci  ITA
Committee on Regional Development REGI 41 S&D Dragoș Benea  ROM EPP Gabriella Gerzsenyi  HUN
S&D Nora Mebarek  FRA
ECR Francesco Ventola  ITA
RE Ľubica Karvašová  SVK
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development AGRI 49 ECR Veronika Vrecionová  CZE EPP Daniel Buda  ROM
EPP Norbert Lins  GER
S&D Eric Sargiacomo  FRA
Vacant
Committee on Fisheries PECH 27 EPP Carmen Crespo Díaz  ESP EPP Sander Smit  NED
ECR Giuseppe Milazzo  ITA
RE Stéphanie Yon-Courtin  FRA
EPP Jessica Polfjärd  SWE
Committee on Culture and Education CULT 30 G/EFA Nela Riehl  GER EPP Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski  POL
S&D Emma Rafowicz  FRA
G/EFA Diana Riba  ESP
RE Hristo Petrov  BUL
Committee on Legal Affairs JURI 25 RE Ilhan Kyuchyuk  BUL EPP Marion Walsmann  GER
ECR Mario Mantovani  ITA
S&D Lara Wolters  NED
EPP Emil Radev  BUL
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs LIBE 75 EPP Javier Zarzalejos  ESP S&D Marina Kaljurand  EST
ECR Charlie Weimers  SWE
S&D Alessandro Zan  ITA
LEFT Estrella Galán  ESP
Committee on Constitutional Affairs AFCO 30 EPP Sven Simon  GER S&D Gabriele Bischoff  GER
EPP Adrián Vázquez Lázara  ESP
RE Charles Goerens  LUX
EPP Péter Magyar  HUN
Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality FEMM 40 S&D Lina Gálvez  ESP RE Dainius Žalimas  LIT
LEFT Irene Montero  ESP
EPP Rosa Estaràs Ferragut  ESP
S&D Predrag Fred Matić  CRO
Committee on Petitions PETI 35 ECR Bogdan Rzońca  POL EPP Dolors Montserrat  ESP
EPP Fredi Beleri  GRE
S&D Nils Ušakovs  LAT
G/EFA Cristina Guarda  ITA
Sources:[2][3][4]

Temporary committees

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Under Rules 175 and 176 the European Parliament may at any time set up temporary committees for specific reports for an initial period of no longer than 12 months. Examples of such temporary committees have been:

On 25 April 2007 MEPs voted to set up a temporary committee on climate change. The committee will have a year to come up with proposals on the EU's future integrated climate-change policy, to co-ordinate the EP's position in this field, to assess the latest evidence on climate change and to evaluate the cost of action.[5]

Following the 2009 elections, in light of the Late 2000s recession, Parliament set up a Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis.

Delegations

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MEPs also compose delegations to various Parliaments outside of the European Union. Joint parliamentary committees are set up with candidate countries. There are also delegations to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly[6] the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.[7]

Conference of Committee Chairs and Conference of Delegation Chairs

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Two major bodies in the Parliament are the Conference of Committee Chairs (CCC) and the Conference of Delegation Chairs (CDC). The Conference of Committee Chairs is the political body in Parliament that works for better cooperation between the committees and consists of the chairs of all the standing and special committees. The Conference of Delegation Chairs is the political body in Parliament that periodically considers all matters concerning the smooth running of interparliamentary delegations and delegations to the joint parliamentary committees. They may make recommendations to the Conference of Presidents and can be instructed to carry out particular tasks by the Bureau or Conference of Presidents.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ "Greens back Farage in row over EU Parliament chairman". Euractiv. 4 July 2014. The appointment of committee chairs follows the D'Hondt system – named after the Belgian mathematician who designed the method – which allocates positions on the basis of political groups' size. However, the precise allocation of seats may shift until the last minute, as political horse-trading continues between the main political groups.
  2. ^ "List of Committees". europarl.europa.eu. European Parliament. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  3. ^ "Parliament confirms the list and size of its committees and delegations". europarl.europa.eu. EP. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs elected". EP. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  5. ^ Temporary Committee on Climate Change
  6. ^ Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly
  7. ^ Delegations
  8. ^ Conference of Committee Chairs
  9. ^ Conference of Delegation Chairs Archived 31 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
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