the epp group in the european parliament

7/29/2019 The EPP Group in the European Parliament

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EPP Group Structure and OrganisationOctober 2012

EPP Group Structure and OrganisationLada Jurica

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October 2012

EPP Group Press and Communications Service


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What is the EPP Group?

Founded on 23 June 1953 as the Group of Christian Democrats

in the Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community

July 1979EPP Group

July 1999EPP-ED Group

July 2009Group of the European Peoples Party

(Christian Democrats)

The EPP Group belongs to the wider family

of the European Peoples Party, reuniting centreand centre-right parties in Europe




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EU Integration Leaders

Founding Fathers

Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, Alcide de Gasperi

Idea of closer cooperation to prevent any future wars

European Community as a peace project

Two revolutionary political models: supranational institutions

and the European Social Model

Reunification of the fragmented Continent

Against any form of totalitarianismThe EPP developed from a classical Christian Democrat family

into a centre-right family in a wider sense




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The most numerous and the most influential

73 parties from 40 EU and non-EU countries currently

belong to the EPP family

The EPP Group has been the strongest political Group

in the European Parliament since 1999

13 European Commissioners, as well as the President of the

European Commission Jos Manuel Barroso, come from the EPP

16 Heads of State and Government currently stem from the

EPP ranks as well as the President of the European CouncilHerman Van Rompuy




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Difference between the Party and the GroupEuropean Peoples Party (EPP)

Umbrella organisation, network of parties

Core business: coordination, facilitating cooperation

Member parties also originate from non-EU countries Organisation of summits and ministerial meetings

EPP Group

Political group

Core business: legislative work, other parliamentary activities Members only from the EU

Whip system independent from the Party




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and their interconnection EPP Party President Wilfried Martenswas the EPP Groups Chairman

for many years

The President and the Secretary-General of the EPP Party, if they are Members

of the European Parliament, are automatically also Members of the EPP Group

Bureau (Antonio Lpez-Istriz)

EPP Group Chairman Joseph Daul is, due to his function, also a Member

of the EPP Party Presidency

Three Members of the European Parliament are Members of the EPP Party

Presidency (Corien Wortmann-Kool, Mrio David, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski)

Electoral Congress held in Bucharest in October 2012

Members elected to the European Parliament on the lists of the member

parties of the European People's Party are automatically Members of the EPP

Group individual Members subscribe to the political programme




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Main political forces in the European Parliament




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Why is the number of Members important?

Chairmen of 10 out of 22 parliamentary committees

and subcommittees

7 out of 14 Vice-Presidents of the Parliament

2 out of 5 Quaestors, in charge of administrative

and financial matters directly concerning Members

EPP Group Members most frequently become Rapporteurs

for legislative and non-legislative proposals




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Membership in the Parliamentary Committees

Committee numbers and competences are determined

at the beginning of each legislature

Every committee, as well as other parliamentary bodies, has toreflect the proportional relation between the political groups

Leading positions in the committees are distributed among

political groups using the dHondt method

Another important position, which is not a formal functionin the committees Group Coordinator




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EPP Group Structure




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President

Elected by majority of Members

2.5 yearly term administrative term

External representation of the European Parliament

Presidency

Administrative term

Adopts internal rules of the Parliament

Proposes draft EP budget and decides on organisational,

administrative and staff matters

Conference of Presidents

Organises the work of the Parliament

Adopts the agenda of plenary sittings

Plenary Assembly

Highest body of the Parliament and its last instance

Votes on legislation



EP


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Calendar The calendar is adopted by the plenary

The EU Founding Treaties require the

Parliament to hold 12 plenary sessionsper year in Strasbourg

Mini plenary sessions in Brussels

were introduced afterwards

Organises weekly parliamentary work




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EPP Group Chairman

Joseph Daul MEP

French, UMP

Former long time Agriculture

and Rural Development Committee Chair

From July 2007

Elected at the beginning of each term

External representation of the Group

Leads the Group in the Conferenceof Presidents

Leads the Group in plenary sittings




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EPP Group Presidency Consists of the Group Chairman and ten Vice-Chairpersons

Elected by the Group Plenary Assembly at the beginning

of each administrative term

Chairs the Group and Working Group meetings, represents

the Group in plenary sittings

Adopts strategic political decisions and decisions concerning

the Group Secretariat

Every Vice-Chairperson has his or her own portfolio

Once a month (in Strasbourg) meeting of the Presidency withthe Heads of National Delegations separate body, discusses

the topics of major importance




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EPP Group Presidency


Marian-Jean MarinescuWG Budget and Structural Policies

Ioannis KasoulidesWG Foreign Affairs

Paulo RangelRelations with National Parliaments,Communication Strategy

Jan OlbrychtTreasurer, Intercultural Relations

Vito BonsignoreUnion for the Mediterranean, Euromed

Manfred WeberWG Legal and Home Affairs, Conciliation

Jzsef SzjerParliamentary Work, Legislative Coordination

Corien Wortmann-KoolWG Economy and Environment

Jaime Mayor OrejaEIN, Political Strategy

Gunnar HkmarkNeighbourhood Policy and Euronest



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EPP Group BureauConsists of

the Members of the Presidency

the Heads of National Delegations and an additional Member for every ten

Members

the Members of the European Parliament Bureau belonging to the Group

the Chairperson of Standing Committees belonging to the Group

the Coordinator within each of the Standing Committees;

the President and the Secretary-General of the European People's Party, if they

are Members of the European Parliament

The Bureau adopts procedural and financial rules of the Group, prepares

strategic political decisions and discusses the agenda of the plenary from the

perspective of national delegations

External Bureau meetings




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EPP Group Plenary Assembly Meets once in Group weeks (on Wednesday morning), once immediately

prior to the mini-plenary (on Wednesday morning) and three times

in plenary session weeks in Strasbourg (Monday afternoon, Tuesday

and Wednesday evening)

Decides on political positions and voting strategy of the Group

Decides on important political matters on a proposal by the Presidency

Adopts the Group budget, elects the Group Presidency and decides

on formation of working groups




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EPP Group Standing Working Groups 4 Standing Working Groups

Committees grouped on the basis of closeness

WG Economy and Environment

WG Foreign Affairs WG Legal and Home Affairs

WG Budget and Structural Policies

One of the Group Vice-Chairpersons is in charge

of every Working Group

Meet on Tuesdays in Group weeks and provide a place for

conciliation of differences in position between Members

and/or Committees




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How are laws adopted I EP Conference of Presidents decides which Committee deals

with the legislative proposal

The Committee attributes the proposal to a political group

according to a complex rotation system

The political group appoints a Rapporteur for the proposal

among its Committee Members Committee Chair reads

new Rapporteur names and this is included in the minutes

The Rapporteur than assumes responsibility for the proposalon behalf of the European Parliament




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How are laws adopted II

The proposal is discussed in the Committeewhip system

among the EPP Group Members is performed by the Coordinator

Committee vote on the proposal all EPP Group Members

receive the so-called voting list

Plenary assembly vote of the European Parliament all EPP Group

Members receive the so-called voting list

A law adopted by the Parliament is then signed by the EP President,published in the Official Journal of the EU and enters into force




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How are laws adopted III

A proposal can be discussed at any moment at the Working Group

and at the Group meeting

Whip system on the level of the Working Group is performed

by the Group Vice-Chairperson in charge of that Working Group

Whip system on the level of the Group is performed by the Group

Vice-Chairperson in charge of legislative coordination

Working Group serves as a filter Importantwhip system carried out by the Group,

not by the national delegations




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Right to speakIn Committee meetings

Rapporteur, Shadow Rapporteurs, Coordinators

Other Members who want to take part in the discussion

In plenary sessions

Time is limited

Political groups compose lists of speakers

Members who dont take part in the discussion in the

Working Group or Group meeting will rarely be given the

opportunity to speak in the plenary




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SecretariatAround 250 employees with the mission to assist Members

Secretary-General Martin Kamp

Three largest categories of staff:

Also:

The Secretariat follows the organisation of the Parliament but

also the structure of the Group Presidency



Policy Advisors

Press Officers Internal organisation

Chairmans Office

Office for relations with the EP bodies

Offices for relations with national parliaments,

religious communities


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EPP Group EnvironmentThe Group works in a densely interlinked environment

where contacts and cooperation are very important.

The staff has to work with:

EPP Group structures

MEPs offices

Secretariat of the European Parliament

Other political groups

Other Institutions

Lobbyists

Accredited journalists and media representatives




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Summary EPP Group centre and centre-right of the political spectre;

the largest political group in the European Parliament

Complex structure Presidency provides political leadership,

Working Groups act as legislative filters, Group Assembly has finalsay on Group voting behaviour

The Group Secretariat assists Members




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Thank you!




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