Annual Activity Report 2013 of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

EPP Group in the European Parliament

ANNUAL ACTIVITY REPORT 2013 OF THE EPP GROUP I N T H E E U R O P E A N PA R L I A M E N T

> Contents

Contents Foreword by the Chairman, Mr Joseph Daul The EPP Group

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1. The Group’s structure

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2. How we work 3. Description

>> The Presidency

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>> Heads of National Delegations

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>> EPP Group Vice-Presidents and Quaestors of Parliament >> EPP Group Chairs of Parliamentary Committees

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>> EPP Group Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees

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>> EPP Group Chairmen of the EU Joint Parliamentary Assemblies, Joint Parliamentary Committees and Interparliamentary Delegations

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4. The President (EPP) of the European Council

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5. Members (EPP) of the European Commission 6. The 275 Members of the Group

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7. The EPP Group Secretariat - Management

External Meetings and Events Hearings and Conferences

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Parliamentary Work Service

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1. Standing Working Group “Foreign Affairs”

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4. Standing Working Group “Budget and Structural Policies”

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2. Standing Working Group “Economy and Environment” 3. Standing Working Group “Legal and Home Affairs”

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National Parliaments Service

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Neighbourhood Policy and Intercultural Activities Service International Relations Service

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Press and Communications Service The European People’s Party (EPP)

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> Foreword by the Chairman

Joseph Daul,

Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

Foreword by the Chairman, Mr Joseph Daul

I am pleased to introduce the Annual Activity Report 2013 of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) in the European Parliament. This Annual Report summarises the wide range of activities and successes of our Group in the past year, highlights our political priorities and aims to make our working procedures more transparent to all citizens.

The 2013 parliamentary year, the last before the European elections due to be held in May 2014, can be viewed as a very successful one. On 23 June the EPP Group marked its 60 th anniversary, having progressively asserted its position, power and political authority since its foundation as the Christian Democratic Group in 1953. With 275 directly elected Members the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) today represents the largest political grouping, and therefore the most influential political force in the European Parliament.

Having pioneered the European project since its inception, the EPP Group is the inheritor of a profoundly important set of values advocated by the European Union’s founding fathers – Robert Schuman, Alcide De Gasperi, and Konrad Adenauer. These values of peace, democracy and freedom remain as inspirational today as they were in the aftermath of

the Second World War. Courage and moral strength to surmount discouragement are as important today as they were ever before, to ensure that the financial crisis that has blighted our continent since 2008 will never again be repeated.

To this end, the EPP Group campaigns for a strong Europe based on the principle of subsidiarity. Our objective is a more competitive, inclusive and sustainable social market economy in a Europe that is close to its citizens. We are determined to push forward the policies required to achieve that objective, firm in the belief that more Europe is the answer.

The EPP Group has been active throughout 2013 in pursuing policy responses to stabilise the euro, keep the Eurozone together and manage the sovereign debt crisis. Major successes include bankers’ bonus caps, stronger and accountable financial sector supervision and more accountable economic governance.

Further economic and monetary integration must be a priority if the EU is to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The EPP Group is at the centre in driving forward legislation to ensure the constitution of a Banking Union that supervises and manages banks in trouble, EU-wide.

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Our Group has additionally spearheaded legislative efforts on modernising higher education, enhancing opportunities for young people through the Erasmus Plus programme, and establishing a Youth Guarantee to tackle high unemployment rates.

2013 witnessed Croatia’s historic accession as the 28th Member State to the European Union and in the process fulfilling a long-standing demand of the EPP Group to foster Balkan reconciliation. The maintenance of peace through extensive cooperation and mutual understanding is the overriding policy objective of the EU. This is the essential political backdrop to the European project. A Europe united in diversity and governed by the rule of law demonstrates that against all odds, lasting peace is possible and such a Europe can act as a force of good for the world.

While proud of our achievements in 2013, much work remains to be done to ensure that our values and principles are implemented in all policy fields. The European elections of 2014 will clearly influence the remaining months of this European Parliament’s term. During the campaign, the EPP Group will build on its past achievements and its clear political priorities in fighting to remain the new Parliament’s largest group and political driving force. To this end, we will keep up our commitment to improving people’s daily lives by bringing about progress on specific measures at European level.

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In highlighting the efforts pursued by our Members, supported by a committed Secretariat, in advancing policies to ensure a brighter future for European citizens, I hope that you will find this year’s publication rewarding and interesting.

Joseph Daul Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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> The EPP Group

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The EPP Group Founded as the Christian Democrat Group on 23 June 1953 as a faction in the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community, the Group changed its name to the ‘Group of the European People’s Party’ (Christian-Democratic Group) in July 1979, just after the first direct elections to the European Parliament, and to ‘Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats’ in July 1999. After the European elections in 2009, the Group went back to its roots as the ‘Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats)’.

It has always played a leading role in the construction of Europe.

1. The Group’s structure The Chairman of the EPP Group is Joseph Daul MEP. He chairs its governing bodies and speaks for the Group in keynote debates in the European Parliament.

He is supported by Coordinators on each of the Parliament’s committees and

by Heads of National Delegations represented in the Group.

The operational needs of the Group are serviced by a Group Secretariat, providing policy and organisational support.

The Group runs its own think-tank - the European Ideas Network - which brings together opinion-formers from the worlds of politics, business, academia and civic society across Europe, to discuss the major policy issues facing the European Union.

2. How we work The Group of the European People’s Party (EPP Group) is the largest in the European Parliament with 275 Members as of from 1 July following the accession of Croatia to the European Union.

It brings together centre and centre-right pro-European political forces from the Member States of the EU. Most of the parties represented in the EPP Group also belong to the European People’s Party. The EPP was the first-ever transnational political party to be formed at European level, and has the strongest representation in the European Council of Ministers. EPP parties came together to advance the goal of a more competitive and democratic Europe, closer to its citizens, and based on a social market economy.

As the largest political group in a Parliament where non-socialist parties now enjoy a clear majority, the EPP Group is in a stronger position than any other to set that body’s political agenda and to win its most critical votes. This strength is reflected in the fact that, since 1999, the EPP Group has been on the winning side of more votes than any other group in the European Parliament’s monthly plenary sessions.

Strength of numbers also ensures that EPP Group Members hold a range of key positions within the Parliament - including in its Presidency, 7 of its Vice-Presidencies, Chairmanships of 10 of the EP’s 22 committees or subcommittees, and 2 of its 5 Quaestorships. Within the Parliamentary Committees, EPP Group Members are best placed to secure the right to author the EP’s position on key pieces of draft legislation and other major reports: the Group gets more of these “rapporteurships” on more important subjects, than any other group.

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The task of the European Parliament - which is elected every five years by direct universal suffrage - lies in exercising democratic control over the decision-making process in the European Union on behalf of Europe’s citizens.

The Presidency

Composition: there are 766 Members of the European Parliament, representing close to 500 million Europeans.

The Presidency consists of the Group Chairman and ten Vice-Chairmen.

The Members of the Presidency agree among themselves on the allocation of tasks, including the Group Treasurer and the Chairmanships of the standing working groups, which shall be brought to the notice of the Group.

3. Description

The Bureau

With 275 Members, the EPP Group is by far the largest political Group in the European Parliament.

The Bureau, the Group’s political organ, consists of:

Its membership is made up of: 42 Members from Germany 34 Members from Italy 30 Members from France 29 Members from Poland 25 Members from Spain 14 Members from Hungary 14 Members from Romania 10 Members from Portugal 7 Members from Greece 7 Members from Bulgaria 6 Members from Austria 6 Members from Slovakia 5 Members from Belgium 5 Members from Croatia

5 Members from The Netherlands 5 Members from Sweden 4 Members from Ireland 4 Members from Lithuania 4 Members from Finland 4 Members from Latvia 4 Members from Slovenia 3 Members from Luxembourg 2 Members from Czech Republic 2 Members from Cyprus 2 Members from Malta 1 Member from Denmark 1 Member from Estonia

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> The Presidency > The Heads of National Delegations > The President and Vice-Presidents of Parliament belonging to the Group > The Chairmen of Parliamentary Committees belonging to the Group > The Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees belonging to the Group > The Chairman and the Secretary-General of the European People’s Party if they are members of the European Parliament > One co-opted Member for every 10 Members of a national delegation

The four Standing Working Groups Working Group “Foreign Affairs”

Working Group “Budget and Structural Policies”

> Committee on Foreign Affairs > Subcommittee on Security and Defence > Subcommittee on Human Rights > Committee on Development > Committee on International Trade Chairwoman: Mairead McGuinness

> Committee on Budgets > Committee on Budgetary Control > Committee on Regional Development > Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development > Committee on Fisheries Chairman: Marian-Jean Marinescu

Working Group “Economy and Environment”

Working Group “Legal and Home Affairs”

> Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs > Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety > Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection > Committee on Transport and Tourism > Committee on Employment and Social Affairs > Committee on Industry, Research and Energy Chairwoman: Corien Wortmann-Kool

> Committee on Legal Affairs > Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs > Committee on Constitutional Affairs > Committee on Petitions > Committee on Culture and Education > Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Chairman: Manfred Weber

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The Presidency

Joseph Daul

Manfred Weber

Jaime Mayor Oreja

Jan Olbrycht

Paulo Rangel

Vito Bonsignore

Marian-Jean Marinescu

József Szájer

Chairman

Vice-Chairman Relations with National Parliaments Communication Strategy

Vice-Chairman Working Group ‘Legal and Home Affairs’ Conciliations

Vice-Chairman Mediterranean Union, Euromed

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Vice-Chairman Political Strategy European Ideas Network

Vice-Chairman Working Group ‘Budget and Structural Policies’

Vice-Chairman Treasurer Intercultural Relations

Vice-Chairman Parliamentary Work

The Presidency

Mairead McGuinness

Vice-Chairwoman Working Group ‘Foreign Affairs’ (Assumed position 16/04/2013)

Ionnis Kasoulides

Vice-Chairman Working Group ‘Foreign Affairs’ (until 04/03/13)

Corien Wortmann-Kool Vice-Chairwoman Working Group ‘Economy and Environment’

Gunnar Hökmark

Vice-Chairman Neighbourhood Policy and EURONEST

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Heads of National Delegations Federal Republic of Germany (42 Members)

Herbert Reul

Markus Ferber

France (30 Members)

Mario Mauro

(until 05/02/2013)

Jean-Pierre Audy

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Italy (34 Members)

Giuseppe Gargani

Poland (29 Members)

Jacek Protasiewicz

Raffaele Baldassarre

(Assumed position on 19/11/2013)

Spain (25 Members)

Jaime Mayor Oreja

Giovanni La Via

(Assumed position on 05/02/2013)

Hungary (14 Members)

András Gyürk

Heads of National Delegations Romania (14 Members)

Theodor Dumitru Stolojan

Bulgaria (7 Members)

Andrey Kovatchev

Portugal (10 Members)

Paulo Rangel

Slovakia (6 Members)

Anna Záborská

Greece (7 Members)

Nuno Melo

Belgium (5 Members)

Marianne Thyssen

Marietta Giannakou

Croatia (5 Members)

Dubravka Šuica

Austria (6 Members)

Othmar Karas

Netherlands (5 Members)

Wim van de Camp

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Heads of National Delegations Sweden (5 Members)

Gunnar Hökmark

Slovenia (4 Members)

Milan Zver

Ireland (4 Members)

Gay Mitchell

Luxembourg (3 Members)

Frank Engel

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Lithuania (4 Members)

Vytautas Landsbergis

Czech Republic (2 Members)

Zuzana Roithová

Finland (4 Members)

Eija-Riitta Korhola

Latvia (4 Members)

Krišjānis Kariņš

Cyprus (2 Members)

Eleni Theocharous

Ioannis Kasoulides

(until 26/02/2013)

Malta (2 Members)

David Casa

Denmark (1 Member)

Simon Busuttil

(until 24/05/2013)

Bendt Bendtsen

Estonia (1 Member)

Tunne Kelam

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EPP Group Vice-Presidents and Quaestors of Parliament

Alejo Vidal-Quadras

Georgios Papastamkos

Roberta Angelilli

Othmar Karas

Jacek Protasiewicz

Lรกszlรณ Surjรกn

Astrid Lulling

Jim Higgins

Vice-President

Vice-President

Vice-President

Vice-President

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Vice-President

Quaestor

Vice-President

Quaestor

Rainer Wieland Vice-President

EPP Group Chairs of Parliamentary Committees

Elmar Brok

Alain Lamassoure

Amalia Sartori

Danuta Maria H端bner

Gabriel Mato Adrover

Doris Pack

Klaus-Heiner Lehne

Carlo Casini

Erminia Mazzoni

Arnaud Danjean

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on Culture and Education

Committee on Budgets

Committee on Legal Affairs

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

Committee on Regional Development

Committee on Petitions

Committee on Fisheries

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

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EPP Group Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees

José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra

László Tőkés

Inese Vaidere

Michael Gahler

Filip Kaczmarek

Gay Mitchell

Daniel Caspary

Salvador Garriga Polledo

Ingeborg Grässle

Jean-Paul Gauzès

Subcommittee on Human Rights

Subcommittee on Human Rights

Subcommittee on Security and Defence

Committee on Development

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Committee on Development

Committee on International Trade

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Committee on Budgets

Committee on Budgetary Control

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

EPP Group Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees

Csaba Ĺ?ry

Peter Liese

Richard Seeber

Pilar del Castillo Vera

Andreas Schwab

Mathieu Grosch

Lambert van Nistelrooij

Albert Dess

Antonello Antinoro

Marco Scurria

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Committee on Transport and Tourism

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Committee on Regional Development

Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Committee on Fisheries

Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Committee on Culture and Education

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EPP Group Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees

Tadeusz Zwiefka

Committee on Legal Affairs

Véronique Mathieu Houillon Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

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Rafał Trzaskowski

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

Mariya Gabriel

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

Peter Jahr

Committee on Petitions

EPP Group Chairmen of the EU Joint Parliamentary Assemblies, Joint Parliamentary Committees and Interparliamentary Delegations

José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra

Werner Langen

Mário David

Eduard Kukan

Christian Ehler

Monica Luisa Macovei

Filip Kaczmarek

Paola Bartolozzi

Angelika Niebler

Crescenzio Rivellini

EU-South East Asia (ASEAN)

EU-Mashreq Countries

Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly

EU-Moldova

EU-Belarus

EU-Central Asia

EU-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo

EU-Arab Peninsula

EU-USA

EU-China

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EPP Group Chairmen of the EU Joint Parliamentary Assemblies, Joint Parliamentary Committees and Interparliamentary Delegations

Michael Gahler

Pan-African Parliament

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski EU-NATO

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Luis de Grandes Pascual EU-Andean Countries

Herbert Reul Korean Peninsula

4. The President (EPP) of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy

5. Members (EPP) of the European Commission President José Manuel DURÃO BARROSO President of the European Commission

Vice-Presidents Viviane REDING Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Antonio TAJANI Industry and Entrepreneurship

Members

Tonio BORG Health and Consumer Policy Kristalina GEORGIEVA International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Johannes HAHN Regional Policy Connie HEDEGAARD Climate Action Janusz LEWANDOWSKI Budget and Financial Programming Günther OETTINGER

Energy Michel BARNIER Internal Market and Services Dacian CIOLOŞ Agriculture and Rural Development

Andris PIEBALGS Development Algirdas ŠEMETA Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud

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6. The 275 Members of the Group Germany (42) BALZ, Burkhard BÖGE, Reimer BROK, Elmar CASPARY, Daniel COLLIN-LANGEN, Birgit DESS, Albert EHLER, Christian FERBER, Markus FLORENZ, Karl-Heinz GAHLER, Michael GRÄSSLE, Ingeborg HOHLMEIER, Monika JAHR, Peter JEGGLE, Elisabeth KASTLER, Martin KLASS, Christa KOCH, Dieter-Lebrecht KUHN, Werner LANGEN, Werner LEHNE, Klaus-Heiner LIESE, Peter MANN, Thomas MAYER, Hans-Peter NIEBLER, Angelika PACK, Doris PIEPER, Markus POSSELT, Bernd POETTERING, Hans-Gert QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL, Godelieve

REUL, Herbert SCHNELLHARDT, Horst SCHNIEBER-JASTRAM, Birgit SCHWAB, Andreas SOMMER, Renate STAUNER, Gabriele ULMER, Thomas VERHEYEN, Sabine VOSS, Axel WEBER, Manfred (WEISGERBER, Anja >30/10/13) WIELAND, Rainer WINKLER, Hermann ZELLER, Joachim Italy (34) (ALBERTINI, Gabriele >12/04/13) ANGELILLI, Roberta ANTINORO, Antonello ANTONIOZZI, Alfredo BALDASSARRE, Raffaele BARTOLOZZI, Paolo BERLATO, Sergio BERTOT, Fabrizio BONSIGNORE, Vito CANCIAN, Antonio CASINI, Carlo COMI, Lara DE MITA, Luigi Ciriaco DORFMANN, Herbert

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FIDANZA, Carlo GARDINI, Elisabetta GARGANI, Giuseppe IACOLINO, Salvatore LA VIA, Giovanni MASTELLA, Clemente MATERA, Barbara (MAURO, Mario > 17/04/13) MAZZONI, Erminia MOTTI, Tiziano PALLONE, Alfredo PATRICIELLO, Aldo RIVELLINI, Crescenzio RONZULLI, Licia ROSSI, Oreste SALATTO, Potito SARTORI, Amalia SCURRIA, Marco SILVESTRIS, Sergio Paolo Francesco TATARELLA, Salvatore TREMATERRA, Gino ZANICCHI, Iva France (30) AUCONIE, Sophie AUDY, Jean-Pierre BERRA, Nora BOULLAND, Philippe CADEC, Alain CAVADA, Jean-Marie

DANJEAN, Arnaud DANTIN, Michel DATI, Rachida DAUL, Joseph DE VEYRAC, Christine FRANCO, Gaston GALLO, Marielle GAUZÈS, Jean-Paul GROSSETÊTE, Françoise HORTEFEUX, Brice JUVIN, Philippe LAMASSOURE, Alain LE BRUN, Agnès LE GRIP, Constance MATHIEU HOUILLON, Véronique MORIN-CHARTIER, Elisabeth PONGA, Maurice PROUST, Franck RIQUET, Dominique ROATTA, Jean SAÏFI, Tokia SANCHEZ-SCHMID, Marie-Thérèse STRIFFLER, Michèle VLASTO, Dominique Poland (29) BORYS, Piotr BRATKOWSKI, Arkadiusz Tomasz BUZEK, Jerzy GRZYB, Andrzej

HANDZLIK, Małgorzata HIBNER, Jolanta Emilia HÜBNER, Danuta Maria JAZŁOWIECKA, Danuta JĘDRZEJEWSKA, Sidonia Elżbieta KACZMAREK, Filip KALINOWSKI, Jarosław (KOLARSKA-BOBIŃSKA, Lena > 17/12/13) KOZŁOWSKI, Jan LISEK, Krzysztof ŁUKACIJEWSKA, Elżbieta Katarzyna MARCINKIEWICZ, Bogdan Kazimierz NITRAS, Sławomir OLBRYCHT, Jan PROTASIEWICZ, Jacek ROSS, Tadeusz SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, Jacek SIEKIERSKI, Czesław Adam SKRZYDLEWSKA, Joanna Katarzyna SONIK, Bogusław THUN UND HOHENSTEIN, Róża Gräfin von (TRZASKOWSKI, Rafał > 17/12/13) WAŁĘSA, Jarosław Leszek ZALESKI, Zbigniew ZALEWSKI, Paweł ZASADA, Artur ZWIEFKA, Tadeusz

Spain (25)

Hungary (14)

ARIAS ECHEVERRÍA, Pablo AYUSO, Pilar del CASTILLO VERA, Pilar CORREA ZAMORA, María Auxiliadora DÍAZ DE MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA, Agustín ESTARÀS FERRAGUT, Rosa FISAS AYXELA, Santiago FRAGA ESTÉVEZ, Carmen GARRIGA POLLEDO, Salvador de GRANDES PASCUAL, Luis GUTIÉRREZ-CORTINES, Cristina HERRANZ GARCÍA, Esther ITURGAIZ ANGULO, Carlos José JIMÉNEZ-BECERRIL BARRIO, Teresa LOPE FONTAGNÉ, Veronica LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE, Antonio MATO ADROVER, Gabriel MAYOR OREJA, Jaime MILLÁN MON, Francisco José NARANJO ESCOBAR, Juan Andrés ORTIZ VILELLA, Eva SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZNEYRA, José Ignacio SEDÓ i ALABART, Salvador VIDAL-QUADRAS, Alejo ZALBA BIDEGAIN, Pablo

BAGÓ, Zoltán BÁNKI, Erik DEUTSCH, Tamás GÁL, Kinga GÁLL-PELCZ, Ildikó GLATTFELDER, Béla GYÜRK, András HANKISS, Ágnes JÁRÓKA, Lívia KÓSA, Ádám ŐRY, Csaba SCHÖPFLIN, György SURJÁN, László SZÁJER, József

UNGUREANU, Traian WINKLER, Iuliu Portugal (10) BASTOS, Regina CARVALHO, Maria Da Graça COELHO, Carlos DAVID, Mário FEIO, Diogo FERNANDES, José Manuel MELO, Nuno PATRÃO NEVES, Maria do Céu RANGEL, Paulo TEIXEIRA, Nuno Greece (7)

Romania (14) ANTONESCU, Elena Oana BĂSESCU, Elena BODU, Sebastian Valentin LUHAN, Petru Constantin MACOVEI, Monica Luisa MARINESCU, Marian-Jean MATULA, Iosif NICULESCU, Rareş-Lucian PREDA, Cristian Dan SÓGOR, Csaba STOLOJAN, Theodor Dumitru TŐKÉS, László

GIANNAKOU, Marietta KOUMOUTSAKOS, Georgios KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU, Rodi PAPANIKOLAOU, Georgios PAPASTAMKOS, Georgios POUPAKIS, Konstantinos TSOUKALAS, Ioannis A. Bulgaria (7) BORISSOV, Preslav GABRIEL, Mariya KOVATCHEV, Andrey

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MALINOV, Svetoslav Hristov NEYNSKY, Nadezhda PANAYOTOVA, Monika URUTCHEV, Vladimir Austria (6) BECKER, Heinz K. KARAS, Othmar KÖSTINGER, Elisabeth PIRKER, Hubert RÜBIG, Paul SEEBER, Richard Slovakia (6)

Croatia (5)

Lithuania (4)

Luxembourg (3)

BUŠIĆ, Zdravka MALETIĆ, Ivana PLENKOVIĆ, Andrej STIER, Davor ŠUICA, Dubravka

ANDRIKIENĖ, Laima Liucija LANDSBERGIS, Vytautas MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ, Radvilė SAUDARGAS, Algirdas

BACH, Georges ENGEL, Frank LULLING, Astrid

Netherlands (5)

Finland (4)

BŘEZINA, Jan ROITHOVÁ, Zuzana

van de CAMP, Wim de LANGE, Esther van NISTELROOIJ, Lambert OOMEN-RUIJTEN, Ria WORTMANN-KOOL, Corien

ESSAYAH, Sari KORHOLA, Eija-Riitta PIETIKÄINEN, Sirpa SARVAMAA, Petri Latvia (4)

BAUER, Edit KUKAN, Eduard MÉSZÁROS, Alajos MIKOLÁŠIK, Miroslav ŠŤASTNÝ, Peter ZÁBORSKÁ, Anna

Czech Republic (2)

Cyprus (2) (KASOULIDES, Ioannis > 04/03/13) PITSILLIDES, Andreas THEOCHAROUS, Eleni

Sweden (5) CORAZZA BILDT, Anna Maria FJELLNER, Christofer HÖKMARK, Gunnar IBRISAGIC, Anna SVENSSON, Alf

KALNIETE, Sandra KARIŅŠ, Krišjānis ŠADURSKIS, Kārlis VAIDERE, Inese Slovenia (4)

Malta (2) (BUSUTTIL, Simon > 25/04/13) METSOLA TEDESCO TRICCAS, Roberta CASA, David

Belgium (5) Ireland (4) BELET, Ivo DEHAENE, Jean-Luc DELVAUX, Anne GROSCH, Mathieu THYSSEN, Marianne

HIGGINS, Jim KELLY, Seán McGUINNESS, Mairead MITCHELL, Gay

JORDAN, Romana MAZEJ KUKOVIČ, Zofija PETERLE, Alojz ZVER, Milan

Denmark (1) BENDTSEN, Bendt Estonia (1) KELAM, Tunne

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7. The EPP Group Secretariat - Management

Martin Kamp

John Biesmans

Paolo Licandro

Miguel Papí-Boucher

Pedro López de Pablo

Joanna Jarecka-Gomez

Johan Ryngaert

Beatrice Scarascia Mugnozza

Secretary-General

Head of the Press and Communications Service

Deputy Secretary-General Head of the Internal Organisation Service

Head of the International Relations Service

Deputy Secretary-General Head of the Neighbourhood Policy and Intercultural Activities Service

Head of the Presidency Service

Deputy Secretary-General Head of the Parliamentary Work Service

Head of the Relations with national Parliaments Service

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2

> External Meetings and Events

2

External Meetings and Events The EPP Group hosts meetings and events both in the European Parliament buildings and within individual Member States. Many of these meetings and events are organised by the Political Strategy Unit.

The Unit offers a valuable mechanism for further developing the Group’s political identity by increasing the number of forums for debate.

These consist of four primary platforms: ›› Meetings of the EPP Group Bureau outside the three working seats of the European Parliament: The goal is to better acquaint with Member States or to express support to an EPP sister party › › Study Days : Organised in a different Member State each year, as understanding the different national realities allows a better grasp of the political themes that are important at a national level, and feed into the EPP Group’s work in the European Parliament ›› Political seminars: Organised jointly with the European People’s Party, this forum brings together experts and representatives of our national sister parties to foment political debate ahead of the 2014 electoral campaign ›› European Ideas Network: EIN represents an open pan-European thinktank designed to promote new thinking on the key challenges facing the European Union

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EPP Group Bureau meetings outside the three working seats of the European Parliament Athens, Greece EPP Group Bureau Meeting – March 2013 Watch Video

The Bureau of the EPP Group met in Athens, Greece on 7-8 March. The objectives of the meeting were to discuss, through the Greek example, the economic situation of the European Union, the management of its external borders, and its relationship with its Eastern neighbours. The participants focused on the following themes: ›› Towards an economic, social and institutional recovery of the European Union - Political, economic and social reforms in Greece: The EPP Group demonstrated its commitment to the country’s steep reform process. It showed particular concern about efforts to help young people who are most threatened by unemployment, giving them a perspective in their own country. Participants prioritised competitiveness, consolidation of the banking sector and regulation of financial markets. ›› Securing external borders: responsibility and security: Participants acknowledged that although the competence for border management is shared between the Union and the Member States, illegal immigration must be considered at the European level. They reaffirmed the need to preserve the integrity on an area without internal border controls within the Schengen area by maintaining a high level of security at the external borders. To this end, the EPP Group supports a common legal framework regarding the conditions of entry, stay and the status and rights of migrants.

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›› Deepening our relationship with the East: The European Neighbourhood Policy has always been at the heart of the EPP Group’s action. Examples from the Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova are interlinked by the clearly visible common trend of questioning the very achievements of democratic changes which started a few years ago in those countries. Therefore, the EPP Group believes that the EU has to take steps and urgently address the deteriorating situations in those countries, and send a clear signal to our Eastern Partnership partners that while we recognise their European aspirations, we will not compromise on our common values.

l-r: Konstantinos Poupakis MEP (EPP Group, Greece), Marietta Giannakou MEP, Head of the Greek Delegation of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Kostis Hatzidakis, Greek Minister for Development and Competitiveness, Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP (Spain), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Kai Wynands, EPP Group Secretariat, Horst Reichenbach, Head of the European Commission’s Task Force for Greece with the status of Special Adviser to the Commission and Mr Panagiotis Thomopoulos, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Greece

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l-r: Antonis Samaras, Prime Minister of Greece, Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Martin Kamp, Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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l-r: Marietta Giannakou MEP, Head of the Greek Delegation of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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Dubrovnik, Croatia EPP Group Bureau Meeting – April 2013 The Bureau of the EPP Group met in Dubrovnik, Croatia on 11-12 April. The objectives of the meeting were to mark the conclusion of Croatia’s accession to the European Union. Themes were divided into two main categories: ›› Croatia contributing to the European future: Political, economic and social situation in Croatia on the eve of accession ›› Promoting sustainable growth and jobs inside the EU Participants welcomed Croatia’s accession to the EU as its 28th Member State on 1 July 2013. They advocated building up road and bridge infrastructure in Croatia aimed at ensuring territorial connectivity and regional development.

The meeting was the occasion for the EPP Group to reaffirm its support to Croatia on its European path and its belief that Croatia’s success story is a good example for the rest of the region to follow.

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As regards the discussion on sustainable growth and jobs inside the EU, the EPP Group insisted on a social market economy based on responsibility and solidarity. It was underlined that structural reforms were essential to enhance competitiveness. To provide the next generation with jobs, the EU needs a coherent budgetary policy, a fully operational internal market and a transparent financial market.

The issue of transport and tourism was also addressed. A modern transport system is a basic condition for developing tourism. The EPP Group’s message was clear: everyone should have equal opportunities to enjoy tourism. To this end, it is important to invest more in new infrastructure and strengthen the tourism sector as an important area for growth and economic recovery in Europe.

l-r: Tomislav Karamarko, President of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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l-r: Lambert van Nistelrooij MEP (the Netherlands), EPP Group Coordinator in the Regional Development Committee of the European Parliament, Domagoj Ivan Milošević, Member of the Croatian Parliament (HDZ), Member of the Committee on the Economy of the Croatian Parliament, Janusz Lewandowski, European Commissioner for Budget and Financial Programming, Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP (Romania), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament responsible for the Budget and Structural Policies Working Group, Adriaan Bastiaansen, EPP Group Secretariat, Mathieu Grosch MEP (Belgium), EPP Group Coordinator in the Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament and Frano Matušić, Observer, Head of the Croatian Delegation of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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EPP Group Bureau Meeting, Dubrovnik, Croatia, April 2013

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Dresden, Germany EPP Group Bureau Meeting – May 2013 The Bureau of the EPP Group met in Dresden, Germany on 16-17 May. The objectives of the meeting were to consider the drivers of economic growth in Europe, and the security threats and challenges currently faced by the EU. Themes included: ›› Europe’s industrial base – Role and importance of industry to generate economic growth in Europe ›› Towards an economic, social and institutional recovery of the European Union ›› Trans-border crime, drug trafficking, cybercrime and asylum It was noted that the creation of industrial products of added value is essential for economic growth and prosperity. Participants agreed that the way towards economic recovery will come from the recovery of the real economy, through SMEs and an innovative and creative industrial sector. Those were the principles advocated by the EPP Group: ›› Innovation and capacity must go together: the EU and the Member States must invest limited capital in the most efficient manner to become attractive ›› Growth can only be achieved in the presence of competitive energy prices and a sustainable and secure energy supply ›› Europe needs ambitious policies and targets, as well as political actions pushing for progress both on industrial production and its environmental challenges

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As regards the way out of the economic crisis, participants believed that the EU must take strong and decisive action in several fields: ›› Structural reforms to respond to regulatory, budgetary and constitutional weaknesses ›› Creating the right framework conditions for public and private investment ›› Supporting an economic government, but democratically legitimised and open to all Member States In the discussion on the security of European citizens, the EPP Group confirmed its strong commitment to the fight against organised crime, drug trafficking and irregular migration. There was a clear understanding that transnational crime and global challenges like cybercrime demand more European answers, better coordination and cooperation between and among the Member States, and at the same time the exchange of best practices and cooperation with our non-European partners and allies.

Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament (speaking), (l-r) Markus Ferber MEP, Head of the German Delegation (CSU) of the EPP Group, Herbert Reul MEP, Head of the German Delegation (CDU) of the EPP Group, Stanislaw Tillich, Minister-President of Saxony and former MEP of the EPP Group, and Martin Kamp, Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament (left), and Herbert Reul MEP, Head of the German Delegation (CDU) of the EPP Group (middle), award the Schuman Medal to Reiner Kunze, a writer and dissident of the former East Germany

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Elmar Brok MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament

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Amsterdam, the Netherlands EPP Group Bureau Meeting – November 2013 Watch Video

The Bureau of the EPP Group met in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 14-15 November. The objectives of the meeting centred on the economic situation in the European Union and an insight into means by which to boost recovery. Themes were divided into four main categories: ›› Making our social market economy an engine for growth Europe is steadily working its way out of the deep crisis. In this effort, Europe must remain committed to the model of the social market economy where people are at the heart, and a model organised around the concept of solidarity, responsibility and sustainability. The EPP Group will strive to continue structural reforms in Member States to enhance their competitiveness. Thus far the regulation of financial markets has advanced creating transparency, making financial services serve the real economy. The EPP Group is additionally working to conclude the Banking Union and the adoption of a robust Single Supervisory Mechanism. Ensuring SMEs have access to capital and countering youth unemployment are both priority challenges for the EPP Group. ›› How to get people out to vote The main conclusion from this debate fixed upon how EPP Group values serve to counter populisms, nationalisms and all those who use European policies to attack the European Union. The challenge of the next European elections should be to prove to people that more votes for the EPP Group will provide stability in Europe, and counter the “common front” of political forces born during the crisis.

The need was underlined to forcefully campaign regarding “speaking more about the Union” and the decisive role that the EPP Group has had in the European construction, and to face-up to the movements who “are born only to destroy”.

Discussions on the need to counter low voter turnout centred on choosing the right channels, the right time and the right circles to spread the EPP Group message.

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›› Tackling sustainability and energy challenges in cities and regions The EPP Group fully endorses the ambition to define a credible climate and energy strategy with clear policy objectives for the EU in 2030 as laid out in a European Commission Green Paper on ‘a 2030 framework for climate and energy policies’. The EPP Group shares the opinion that energy efficiency policies should get a stronger priority in the 2030 perspective and it supports an EU policy that respects the need for flexibility and subsidiarity for the regions to implement ambitious policies most cost-effectively. The EPP Group supported the facilitation of access to EU Structural and Investment Funds for energy efficiency measures through a multifunded approach within the framework of EU Cohesion Policy. A number of EU initiatives can support European cities in developing energy-efficient transport systems, as well as preserving and upgrading the part of their heritage consisting of their building stock. ›› Producing healthy and enough food for Europe and the world The EPP Group has recognised the need for a long-term approach to food security.

Regarding the new CAP, the private sector’s involvement will enable to contribute further to agricultural productivity, agribusiness, new techniques, scientific research, and building capacity though training and providing sustainable business opportunities. The EPP Group fully endorsed the idea that for food, a sustainable system might be seen as encompassing a range of issues such as security of the supply of food, health, safety, affordability, quality, a strong food industry in terms of jobs and growth and, at the same time, environmental sustainability, in terms of issues such as climate change, biodiversity, water and soil quality.

The EPP Group supports the promotion of a healthy diet which also reduces the environmental footprint of food consumption in Europe and globally.

The EPP Group is aware that securing safe, healthy food for what is now a Union of 500 million citizens has required continual commitment, constant reassessment and an innovative approach on the part of the EU.

r-l: Jan Olbrycht MEP (Poland), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Walter van Kuijen, Senior Vice-President, Head of European Affairs, Royal Philips, Adriaan Bastiaansen, EPP Group Secretariat, Corien Wortmann-Kool MEP (the Netherlands), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, RenĂŠ van der Linden, Member of the Dutch Senate (Upper House) and former Dutch Secretary of State for European Affairs, and Lambert van Nistelrooij MEP (the Netherlands), EPP Group Coordinator in the Committee on Regional Development of the European Parliament

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r-l: Esther de Lange MEP (EPP Group, the Netherlands), Albert Jan Maat, President of COPA-COGECA, European Farmers’ Federation and former Member of the EPP Group, Juan Salafranca (EPP Group Secretariat), Mairead McGuinness MEP (Ireland), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Gerda Verburg, Permament Representative of the Netherlands in the FAO, Chair of the Committee on World Food Security and former Dutch Minister for Agriculture, and Zofija Mazej Kukovič MEP, (EPP Group, Slovenia)

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Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament (in the middle), Jan Peter Balkenende, former Prime Minister of Holland, and Martin Kamp, Secretary-General of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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Political seminars organised jointly with the European People’s Party “Analysis of the European political landscape” – January 2013 The meeting was held on 30 January and was an opportunity for the Members of the EPP Group to discuss political current affairs and to explore topical issues in view of the 2014 European elections. Themes included: ›› New challenges for the EPP in a changing European political landscape: the rise of populism and radical nationalism ›› How to fulfil nowadays economic, social and political citizens expectations The seminar brought together several experts and representatives of some of our national sister parties. Participants reflected on the EPP Group’s line and on the means to better promote our values and projects. They assessed the consequences of the crisis that Europe has been facing these past years, the rise of populism and nationalist movements, and the risk of a real social dislocation. Faced with these challenges, the EPP Group insists on the principles of political responsibility and solidarity. Europe must act more.

It is important to reconsider the concept of European governance in order to give impetus to the European project and to counter the arguments put forward by radical nationalists.

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As regards the need to restore citizens’ trust towards the European institutions, the EPP Group intends to fight against demagogy and to further deepen European political and economic integration. The democratic union must go beyond the monetary union if we want to fight against unemployment, enable the convergence of institutions and ensure the well-being of European citizens. The social dimension of the European project must not be neglected. The discussions identified key issues such as growth, youth employment and social convergence.

The European Ideas Network The EIN is an initiative of the EPP Group to bring a range of actors into the generation of policy ideas for the European centre-right. It is a network of over 600 policy-makers and opinion-shapers from nearly 30 countries to discuss the future policy direction of the European Union and its Member States.

›› Summer University The climax to the annual programme of the EIN is the Summer University.

This year’s event took place from: 27 to 29 June 2013 in Porto (Portugal).

Members come from diverse backgrounds: elected political office, research institutes, political foundations, academia, business, and non-governmental organisations.

The theme of this year’s event was: ‘The European Union and the Americas, an Atlantic Project of Growth and Prosperity’

EIN organises a number of different types of activity to create a dynamic and lively centre for debate to stimulate fresh thinking and positive responses to the challenges faced in a rapidly changing world:

Summaries of the EIN meetings are published on the network’s website www.ein.eu along with papers and presentations which formed the basis for its meetings.

›› Breakfast Meetings and Working Group Seminars In 2013, the EIN has organised an active programme of breakfast meetings in the European Parliament and seminars to offer a forum for both elected policy makers and political researchers in Brussels to discuss subjects of topical interest stimulated by opening remarks by leaders in their field.

Throughout the year, numerous seminars were also organised by the EIN Working Groups.

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European Ideas Network Summer University Porto, Portugal, June 2013 l-r: Nuno Melo MEP (Portugal), Member of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Vice-Chairman of the EP Delegation for Relations with the Mercosur countries, Member of the EP Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, Head of the CDS-PP Portuguese Delegation, Maria da Assunção Esteves MP, Presidents of the National Assembly, Portuguese Parliament, Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP (Spain), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Responsible for Political Strategy and the European Ideas Network, Paulo Rangel MEP (Portugal), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Responsible for Relations with National Parliaments and the Communication Strategy Head of the PSD Portuguese Delegation, Rui Rio, Mayor of Porto

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Hearings and Conferences On top of the meetings organised by the Political Strategy Unit, the EPP Group hosts a series of Hearings and Conferences with experts and stakeholders to discuss themes that are of relevance to the European Parliament and to EU citizens.

The EPP Group’s stands at the Open Days at the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg attract a large number of visitors, presenting an ideal opportunity for citizens to find out more about the EPP Group’s political priorities.

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29/01/2013 Conference: 3rd EPP Group Conference on ‘Western Balkans - A Future with Europe’

26/02/2013 Hearing on tackling child poverty in Hungary

View Programme

Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament (speaking), Suzana Grubješić, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, and Gunnar Hökmark MEP (Sweden), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the EP, Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group on EU Enlargement, Neighbourhood Policy and EURONEST, Chairman of the Delegation to the EU-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee

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Tamás Deutsch MEP (EPP Group, Hungary), host of the Hearing, and Zsuzsa Hegedűs, sociologist, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Hungary, and Chair of the “No child should go Hungry” Foundation in Hungary.

19/03/2013 Hearing on Totalitarian Regimes

Inese Vaidere MEP (EPP Group, Latvia), host of the Hearing (in the middle), (l-r) Tunne Kelam MEP (Estonia), Head of the Estonian Delegation of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and György Schöpflin MEP (EPP Group, Hungary)

20/03/2013 Hearing on Equal Access to Private Cars

l-r: Dieter-Lebrecht Koch MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Ádám Kósa MEP (EPP Group, Hungary), Chairman of the European Parliament’s Disability Intergroup, and Werner Kuhn MEP (EPP Group, Germany)

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09/04/2013 Conference: The Dialogue on Modernisation with Belarusian Society

09/04/2013 Conference: Disability, Law and Policy

View Programme

l-r: Aliaksandr Autushka-Sikorski, Coordinator of the Dialogue on Modernisation’s Working Group on Economic, Social and Sector Policy Issues, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra MEP (Spain), EPP Group Coordinator in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the EP, Filip Kaczmarek MEP (EPP Group, Poland), Chairman of the EP Delegation for Relations with Belarus

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Mairead McGuinness MEP (Ireland), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, host of the conference

04/05/2013 Open Days of the European Institutions in Brussels

Visitors in Brussels

19/05/2013 Open Days of the European Institutions in Strasbourg

Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, greets visitors in Strasbourg

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14/05/2013 Conference on Young Farmers

Elisabeth Köstinger MEP (EPP Group, Austria), Member of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament

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05/06/2013 Hearing on Marine Knowledge 2020

Maria do Céu Patrão Neves MEP (EPP Group, Portugal), host of the Hearing

05/06/2013 Conference: Diversity and Multiculturalism: the Indonesian Story

06/06/2013 Hearing on the Internal Energy Market

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Jan Olbrycht MEP (Poland), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament (centre), HE Bahrul Havat PhD, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, and HE Arif Havas Oegroseno, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Belgium, Luxembourg and the EU

Jerzy Buzek MEP (EPP Group, Poland), former President of the European Parliament and author of the Report ‘Making the Internal Energy Market work’ (speaking), (l-r) Günther Oettinger, European Commissioner for Energy, Maria Da Graça Carvalho MEP (EPP Group, Portugal) and Amalia Sartori MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Chairwoman of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament

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25/06/2013 Conference on Georgia

26/06/2013 Hearing on the Abruzzo earthquake

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R-l: Gunnar Hökmark MEP (Sweden), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament responsible for Neighbourhood Policy and EURONEST, and David Bakradze, leader of the parliamentary minority, former Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia

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Crescenzio Rivellini MEP (Italy), EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur for ‘The EU Solidarity Fund’s response to the 2009 Abruzzo earthquake’ in the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament

04/09/2013 Hearing on Reindustrialising Europe

Franck Proust MEP (EPP Group, France), Shadow Rapporteur for the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and the International Trade Committee of the EP on ‘Reindustrialising Europe to promote competitiveness and sustainability’, and Amalia Sartori MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Chairwoman of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the European Parliament

10/09/2013 Commemoration Oswaldo Payá

Joseph Daul MEP (France), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and Jaime Mayor Oreja MEP (Spain), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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17/09/2013 Conference on Youth Unemployment

Inese Vaidere MEP (EPP Group, Latvia), host of the Hearing, and L谩szl贸 Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

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17/09/2013 Hearing on Regional Airports

Franck Proust MEP (EPP Group, France), host of the Hearing, Substitute Member in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament

02-03/10/2013 Hearing on Migration and Mobility with the Eastern Partnership

Jacek Protasiewicz MEP (EPP Group, Poland), Vice-President of the European Parliament (speaking), (r-l) Eduard Kukan MEP (EPP Group, Slovakia), Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo, Elmar Brok MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and Agustín Díaz de Mera García Consuegra MEP (EPP Group, Spain)

02/10/2013 Hearing on Horizon 2020 and research in the Baltic States

l-r: Professor Indrikis Muiznieks, Deputy Rector for Research, University of Latvia, Maria Da Graça Carvalho MEP (EPP Group, Portugal), Rapporteur for the Horizon 2020 Specific Programme, Krišjānis Kariņš MEP (EPP Group, Latvia), Moderator, and Indrek Reimand, Head of Research Policy Department at the Ministry of Education and Research, Estonia

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02/10/2013 Hearing on OLAF and interference with the rights of persons concerned

Ingeborg Grässle MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Rapporteur for the OLAF Regulation

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16/10/2013 Hearing on Liberal Professionals

l-r: Máximo Gónzalez Jurado, Member of the Executive Board of Unión Profesional, Spain, Dr Rolf Koschorrek, President of the German Federal Association of Liberal Professions, Angelika Niebler MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chairwoman and Moderator of the Hearing, Andreas Schwab MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Dr Alexander Lücke, Head of Unit, German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, and Jürgen Tiedje, Head of Unit E4 Free Movement of Professionals, European Commission

16/10/2013 Hearing on Converged Media

13/11/2013 Hearing on the new European Long-Term Investment Fund Regulation View Programme

Sabine Verheyen MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Rapporteur on the Report ‘Preparing a fully-converged audio-visual world: growth, creation and values’.

Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou MEP (EPP Group, Greece), Rapporteur on long-term investment funds

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13/11/2013 Hearing on the European Meat Forum

Horst Schnellhardt MEP (EPP Group, Germany) host of the Hearing (second from left), Jean-Marie Oswald, IBC President (far left), Tonio Borg, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, Renate Kühlcke (editor-in-chief of the Allgemeine Fleischerzeitung), and Ulrich Herzog, Austrian Ministry of Health

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04/12/2013 Hearing on Telecoms Single Market

Pilar del Castillo Vera MEP (Spain), EPP Group Spokeswoman in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament

05/12/2013 Hearing on Match Fixing

Salvatore Iacolino MEP (EPP Group, Italy), Vice-Chairman of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament, and Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament

05/12/2013 Hearing on Bangladesh

l-r: Professor Dr Sadeka HALIM, Information Commissioner, Information Commission, Bangladesh, Laima Liucija AndrikienÄ— MEP (EPP Group, Lithuania) and Mairead McGuinness MEP (Ireland) Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament

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> Parliamentary Work Service

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Parliamentary Work Service The Parliamentary Work Service assists the MEPs of the EPP Group in their daily legislative work.

The Group’s staff uses its expertise and experience in ensuring that the EPP Group, as the largest political Group in the European Parliament, can maximise its objectives in all political undertakings.

The following outlines the successes and achievements of the four Working Groups throughout 2013.

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1. Standing Working Group “Foreign Affairs”

Mairead McGuinness MEP (Ireland), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Chairwoman of the Working Group “Foreign Affairs”

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Committee on Foreign Affairs: (AFET) The European Neighbourhood Policy continued to be the primary focus of EU foreign policy in 2013. The EPP Group was at the forefront in efforts to approximate Eastern and Southern neighbours to European standards and values. Under the “more for more” principle the EU aims to deepen and strengthen its cooperation with and assistance to countries that commit to and engage in democratic reform.

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Regarding human rights, the EPP Group, notably José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra MEP (ES), EPP Group Coordinator in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the EP, led the way in the nominations for the eventual winner of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize, Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani campaigner for girls’ education.

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In addition, the Group organised a conference in honour of the 2002 Cuban laureate Oswaldo Payá who died in 2012 in circumstances yet to be clarified.

In the East, the agenda was dominated by preparations for the 3rd Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, 28-29 November 2013, and negotiations on an Association Agreement with Ukraine. This Agreement is due to be signed pending completion by Ukraine of a number of requirements, including reform of its electoral and legal system and the persistent application of selective justice. EPP Group Members, notably Elmar Brok MEP (DE), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament (EP), and Jacek Saryusz-Wolski MEP (PL), Rapporteur on the Neighbourhood Policy, have been active in shaping EU policy in this area through a strong resolution to react to Russian pressure on Eastern Partnership countries.

In defence policy, EPP Group Members Arnaud Danjean MEP (FR), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), Michael Gahler MEP (DE), SEDE Coordinator, and Krzysztof Lisek MEP (PL), launched an EPP Group position paper in preparation of the December European Council on Security and Defence, later endorsed by the EPP Group AFET Members.

In the South, Egypt continued to face turbulence following a military takeover on 3 July. EPP Group Members, notably in the EU Task Force for Egypt, have followed the situation closely ensuring that European Union support continues and is geared to the democratic transition of the country.

Finally, the European Parliament sent a strong signal when on 13 June it adopted Elmar Brok’s report on the 2013 Review of the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service, calling for a more ambitious EEAS and a better coordinated EU foreign policy.

In the Middle East, the Syria situation has worsened and continues to dominate foreign policy. Following the chemical weapon attack on 21 August, the EPP Group was instrumental in a condemnatory reaction from the European Parliament through a resolution adopted at its September session calling for a “political solution for Syria which can stop the violence, prevent further use of chemical weapons and promote a democratic transition”.

The EPP Group took a leading role in Election Observation Missions during 2013. These included : Jordan, Armenia, Kenya, Paraguay, Madagascar, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Honduras.

The EPP Group continues to play a key role in EU enlargement policy, organising a successful 3rd Western Balkans Annual Conference on 29 January.

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Committee on International Trade: (INTA) In relation to international trade affairs, the EPP Group continued to support its traditional goal of enhancing a fair trade policy, aiming at creating new opportunities for the EU industry and citizens at a multilateral and bilateral level throughout 2013.

The EPP Group is strongly supporting the efforts of the European Commission in the Doha Round for a minimum package of measures: trade facilitation, specific measures for the least developed countries and food security, to be agreed at the Ministerial Conference in Bali by the end of the year. It represents a definitive chance of the Doha Round to confirm the central role of the WTO as the natural and most appropriate negotiating seat in international trade relations.

The EPP Group welcomes the provisional entry into force of the Trade Agreement between the European Union and Colombia and Peru. This is the final stage of a technical and political process where we were at the forefront in advancing the strategic importance of the adoption of the agreement. Our vision has been strongly supportive of an Agreement which would shape and consolidate our trade relations with Latin America, and also with the Association Agreement with Central America which provisionally entered into force in August 2013. This architecture, originally opposed by the leftist groups in the European Parliament, was finally shared by a large majority of Members.

Furthermore, Ecuador has recently shown its intention to return to negotiations and finalise a similar trade agreement. The EPP Group is supportive of a broader integration of countries in the Andean area via this Trade Agreement and we will offer support and highlight the advantages of the Trade Agreement for the region.

The reinforcement of economic and trade relations with the United States have been a key objective of EPP world strategy in political and economic terms.

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The EPP Group was thus at the heart in launching the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations in Washington in July.

An ambitious, balanced and comprehensive agreement could bring significant gains to both parties in terms of bilateral trade exchanges, through creating global trade rules (especially in front of a persisting stalemate of the Doha Round in the WTO agreement) and the adoption of joint commercial standards. A recent impact assessment shows that this agreement should produce at least an increase of 0.5% in growth in both countries, with a substantial increase in the creation of new jobs. The EPP Group advocates mutually advantageous solutions to the different outstanding issues: from regulatory convergence to agricultural policy, from investment to intellectual property rights and rules of origin discipline. The Group therefore has promoted debate in the European Union involving all stakeholders: Daniel Caspary MEP (DE) and Godelieve Quisthodt-Rowohl MEP (DE), respectively Coordinator and MEPs responsible for EU-US relations in the INTA Committee, have promoted the organisation of a bimonthly public workshop debate. It is also helpful to maintain a close and constructive dialogue in the American Congress which should promote the same debate in the United States. Only a strong political commitment and willingness can create the conditions for successful negotiations. The EPP Group will support the process in the hope of an historic Agreement.

On 18 October 2013, the Council of the European Union authorised the opening of negotiations on an investment agreement with China to streamline the existing bilateral investment protection agreements between China and 26 EU Member States into a single, coherent text, aiming to conclude within two and a half years. The European Parliament adopted on 9 October 2013 a resolution on the launch of negotiations. The EPP Group called, inter alia, for the elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade; for better business environment for investors and application of best practices of the Member States based on the bilateral investment protection agreements; for a fair

competition between Chinese state-owned enterprises and European private companies by ensuring a level playing field between these; and for the highest possible level of transparency during these negotiations.

Finally, the EPP Group considers the outcome of the discussion and vote in plenary on a text on EU-Taiwan trade relations a success as Taiwan has been a taboo country in the European Parliament and officially ignored. On the initiative of Franck Proust MEP (FR) and Laima Liucija Andrikienė MEP (LT) it has been agreed that the EU should positively respond to Taiwan’s willingness to explore the possibility of launching negotiations on investment protection and market access.

The EPP Group also welcomed the announcement of the conclusions on the EU-Canada Trade Agreement (CETA), which will create new opportunities for businesses resulting in a greater choice for consumers as well as lower prices for products on offer.

A trade agreement on abolishing tariffs and other trade hurdles will bring the two economies closer together. The EPP Group is ready to finalise the deal and the procedure within the EP in order to realise its growth potential.

Furthermore, the EU-Canada Trade Agreement is an important bridge towards the TTIP Agreement between the EU and the United States due to the similarities of the issues at stake.

Committee on Development: (DEVE)

More important, at the insistence of the EPP Group, the DEVE Committee of the European Parliament selected a legislative proposal to underpin ongoing initiatives in the area of EU donor coordination as the utmost legislative priority to be dealt with by the next Commission. This followed an earlier Committee decision driven by the EPP Group to draft a legislative initiative report to ask the Commission to propose legislation for Member States to coordinate their development policies, and to appoint Gay Mitchell MEP (IE) as Rapporteur. The EPP Group requests swift action in this area in the light of a previous study by the European Commission which estimated an efficiency saving of EUR 6bn per year if EU and Member State development programmes were properly coordinated.

The appointment of Filip Kaczmarek MEP (PL) as Rapporteur of the most important report for the Committee on the Millennium Development Goals – defining the post-2015 agenda – allowed the EPP Group to take the lead in setting up the framework for the European Parliament’s position ahead of the United Nations special event on the post-2015 development framework, which took place in New York in September 2013.

Notably, the EPP Group called in this report for combining the fight against poverty with the achievement of sustainable development as prerequisites for the global development agenda. Filip Kaczmarek furthermore led the European Parliament’s Delegation to the United Nations special event at which it held a number of high-level meetings, including with the President of the World Bank Dr Jim Yong Kim, the Special Advisor for the post-2015 agenda Ms Amina Mohammed and the UNDP Associate Administrator Ms Rebeca Grynspan. The EPP Group took the lead in conveying the priorities for defining a new global development agenda beyond 2015.

The EPP Group was instrumental in selecting the following non-legislative initiatives for the Commission Work Programme 2014: the establishment of an EU Trust Fund to address malnutrition in developing countries; addressing gendercide; a pro-poor strategy for the private sector and the promotion of property ownership.

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Corien Wortmann-Kool MEP (the Netherlands), Vice-Chairwoman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and Chairwoman of the Working Group “Economy and Environment”

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2. Standing Working Group “Economy and Environment” The EPP Group’s main aim of the past year was to further work our way out of the crisis, by taking a three-fold approach. Firstly, we continued on the path of restoring stability. The introduction of fiscal and macroeconomic imbalances surveillance mechanisms in Member States, further added to the establishment of a credible and robust framework, reinforcing the Stability Pact. We took several big steps towards the conclusion of financial markets regulation, on our way to a full-fledged banking union.

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Secondly, we laid important foundations for growth and jobs, tapping the full potential of the Single Market, and strictly following the principle of better regulation and avoidance of ‘red tape’ in all policy areas. Thirdly, we tailor made EU investment programmes to create jobs and boost our SMEs, the Horizon 2020 Programme being the most prominent example.

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs: (ECON) As part of the banking regulation MEPs adopted two key pieces of legislation in 2013 - one regarding the new bank supervisor and the other on capital requirements of banks. From 2014 the activities of the Euro area’s largest banks will be overseen by a new authority called the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). Its aim is to break the link between banking crises and sovereign debt.

The Capital Requirements Directive, piloted by Othmar Karas MEP (AT), introduces a single rule book for all of the EU’s 8200 banks. MEPs also decided to cap bankers’ bonus by 2015.

In March 2013 the economic governance legislation was finalised introducing the Two Pack. The European Commission gained considerable power over national budgets in the Euro area, as well as a say on the Member States’ reform programmes. This represents a substantial reinforcement of the Stability and Growth Pact, designed to avoid a repeat of the sovereign debt crisis.

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l-r: Małgorzata Handzlik MEP (EPP Group, Poland) Vice-Coordinator in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament, and Andreas Schwab MEP (Germany) EPP Group Coordinator in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament

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Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection: (IMCO)

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy: (ITRE)

Estimates say that the EU could gain an additional 4% of GDP over the next ten years by fully using the potential of the Single Market. With that in mind and following last year’s 20th anniversary of the Single Market, MEPs managed to reach an agreement on the public procurement package. The legislation’s aim is to reform procurement in general and in the area of utilities and concessions in particular, which are longer-term contracts for works and services from private suppliers. Negotiations on the concessions directive led

by Philippe Juvin MEP (FR) constituted a cornerstone of this package.

Europe’s research and innovation programme for 2014-2020 has been designed to bring more good ideas to the market, benefiting the everyday lives of EU’s citizens. Horizon 2020 is an umbrella instrument comprising all of Europe’s R&D projects. The main objective is to accelerate the commercialisation and diffusion of innovation in order to push Europe to the front line of global competitiveness. This programme with a budget of €70 billion was negotiated

by Maria Da Graça Carvalho MEP (PT) and Christian Ehler MEP (DE).

Starting from next year accessing financial support for innovation will be easier, faster and more efficient. Horizon 2020 is particularly interested in increasing the participation of SMEs and industry, as well as less performing regions in the innovation loop.

Furthermore, the EPP Group pushed to conclude the facilitation of recognition of professional qualifications and the introduction of the European Professional Card. For people working in over 800 professions it will be easier to obtain work in another Member State.

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Róża Thun und Hohenstein MEP (PL) worked on improving consumer protection and simplifying out-of-court resolutions both in online and offline trading. IMCO under the leadership of Andreas Schwab MEP (DE) coined its first contribution to the European Semester cycle by outlining mechanisms for improved Single Market governance, and hence generating growth and employment in the EU.

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The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) will also see its field of activities and financial levy widened, thanks to the commitment of Ioannis Tsoukalas MEP (GR) and Lambert Van Nistelrooij MEP (NL).

The new Programme 2014-2020 for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME Programme) will have a budget of €2.03 billion. The EPP Group has ensured that the major share of these funds will be used to facilitate SME’s access to finance and cutting red tape. This legislation endorses the proposals made earlier in 2013 in an initiative report steered by Paul Rübig Read News Repo rt MEP (AT).

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety: (ENVI)

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs: (EMPL)

The most relevant among the issues which the EPP Group has dealt with within the ENVI Committee, confirming a success of the Group’s position, are several dossiers concerning climate policy; greenhouse gas emission reduction in general (Rapporteur: Salvatore Tatarella MEP (IT)); the increase of energy efficiency, as well as a better and sustainable way of the use of resources and raw materials. Other relevant dossiers which the Group’s MEPs steered legislation concerned ship recycling; priority substances in water policy (Rapporteur: Richard Seeber MEP (AT)); and noise reduction in cars. The EPP Group is currently working on a balanced Emissions Trading System and greenhouse gas emissions control that covers all key sectors including vehicles, planes and ships, not only on European but as soon as possible also on a global level.

The EPP Group succeeded to influence shaping the new European regulations on the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Globalisation Fund making it more dynamic, efficient and closer to European citizens.

Furthermore, Csaba Őry MEP (HU), EPP Group Coordinator in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, initiated and supported two new initiatives in line with the 2020 strategy – the Youth Employment Initiative and EU Aid for the Most Deprived.

In the health area, the EPP Group has finalised legislation on clinical trials of new medicines in view of protecting patients and promoting research. On medical devices, the Group backed legislation calling for better and stricter controls of, among others, hip implants and breast implants (Rapporteur: Peter Liese MEP (DE)). One of the most contentious issues this year in the regarding health concerned the provisions on presentation and sale of tobacco and its related products.

Almost 7.5 million 15-24 year-olds are neither working, nor in education or training in Europe. The EPP Group considers that the attribution of sufficient funds is essential to ensure that the ESF remains one of the most important instruments for implementing Europe’s objective of reaching a level of 75% employment. Thanks to the efforts of Elisabeth Morin-Chartier MEP (FR), European Parliament Rapporteur on the European Social Fund (ESF), the EPP Group worked to develop policies to allow career guidance for unemployed and their transition to work focusing on specific groups and privileging individual approach. We also focused on issues such as young people with disabilities, integration of all disadvantaged groups, help to post-graduates and young researchers, equal access to higher education and fostering entrepreneurship.

The EPP Group also focused on the problem of early school leavers who are not in employment, education or training. Addressing this problem we called for and supported the European Youth Guarantee. Its goal is to ensure that every young person in Europe is offered a job, further education or workfocused training after leaving education or after becoming unemployed.

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Committee on Transport and Tourism: (TRAN) The EPP Group played a key role in conceiving and reinforcing a European sustainable, transparent, fair and environmental friendly legislation in all modes of transport.

This is mainly reflected in the new TEN-T Guidelines drafted by Georgios Koumoutsakos MEP (GR).

This new EU infrastructure policy aims at creating a real transport network instead of focusing on isolated projects. It foresees a core transport network to be established by 2030, as the backbone for transportation within the Single Market. The new core TEN-T network will be supported by a comprehensive network of routes, interlinked with the regional and national level by 2050.

The key EU financing instrument for the TEN-T is the centrally managed Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) – a €29.29 billion scheme to be invested in Europe’s transport, energy and digital networks. Negotiated by Dominique Riquet MEP (FR), the instrument was a joint effort by the ITRE and TRAN Committees in targeting key infrastructures that attract high EU added-value projects. In doing so, it will facilitate the creation of sustainable jobs and boost European competitiveness. MEPs Algirdas Saudargas (LT), Antonio Cancian (IT) and Gunnar Hökmark (SE), prioritised better interconnections in the energy market and security of supply, greener transport modes and deployment of telecommunications networks.

The EPP Group managed to improve road safety related legislation making periodic vehicle testing and roadside checks on commercial vehicles more efficient and consumer friendly streamlining the rules on vehicle documents and creating a modernised database.

The new EU-wide standards for roadworthiness will enhance safety on the European roads and provide clarity on the requirements related to vehicle use in national and cross-border traffic. Leading this legislative initiative was Werner Kuhn MEP (DE).

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Manfred Weber MEP (Germany), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group “Legal and Home Affairs”

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3. Standing Working Group “Legal and Home Affairs” Committee on Legal Affairs: (JURI)

Smart regulation

Moving forward the Contract law project: The Common European Sales Law (CESL)

The EPP Group has exerted pressure to reduce unnecessary and disproportionate administrative burdens, with a view to improving conditions for European citizens and businesses.

The CESL (Co-Rapporteur Klaus-Heiner Lehne MEP (DE), an instrument with immense cross-border commercial potential, was adopted by the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament (EP) in September. It will serve as a basis for any future negotiations and for the work that the EP will undertake during the next legislative term.

Ensuring an efficient justice system View Topic

Upon an EPP Group initiative, a report by Tadeusz Zwiefka MEP (PL), addressed the issue of eliminating barriers and raising awareness among citizens to ensure effective access to legal aid in cross border disputes.

The EP voted two reports (Rapporteur Alexandra Thein MEP, ALDE, Shadow Rapporteur Axel Voss MEP (DE)) on the regulation on Matrimonial Property and Registered Partnership regimes, the aim of which is to facilitate the movement of decisions and instruments among different Member States.

Couples can now choose the law applicable for the separation of their assets and they have more legal certainty.

Improving Intellectual Property Rights Marielle Gallo MEP (FR) is currently negotiating a new Directive on collective Read News management of copyright and licensing of musical works to facilitate easier Report licensing of musical works for online use through Europe. Creators will be remunerated quickly, receiving clear information on their revenues. This ensures a positive impact in the digital market by developing new cross border services.

Reforming Company law: Reducing administrative burden and improving transparency.

Klaus-Heiner Lehne MEP (DE), Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the EP, completed the negotiations on the Accounting and Transparency Directive, introducing a specific regime for small companies to reduce the administrative burden when preparing their financial statements. It also harmonises thresholds to ensure that the administrative burden reduction actually accrues to the benefit of all small companies in the EU. A new provision introducing reporting requirements for large companies active in the extractive industry or in the logging of primary forests was also adopted.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs: (LIBE) The EPP Group is the driving force in advancing the Common European Asylum System (CEAS); EU border security; the fight against irregular migration; and smuggling and trafficking of human beings – we are in the front line of preserving and defending the area of free movement (Schengen zone) while at the same time tackling abuse.

The EPP Group has taken an active role in the parliamentary debates on the Asylum Package. When dealing with these challenging dossiers, the EPP Group struck the balance between protecting universal fundamental rights (immigration from third countries) and meeting the expectations of EU citizens for security, stability and coordinated immigration.

The EPP Group spokesperson on the Schengen Governance Pack, Carlos Coelho MEP (PT), discussed with Members reports on the establishment of an evaluation mechanism to verify application of the Schengen acquis and on the provision of common rules on the temporary reintroduction of border control at internal borders in exceptional circumstance.

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The EPP Group critically addressed the mass surveillance allegations by the NSA (PRISM programme) while remaining committed to transatlantic efforts in fighting terrorism and cross-border organised crime.

EPP Group Shadow Rapporteur Monika Hohlmeier MEP (DE) significantly influenced the judicial cooperation in criminal matters (combating attacks against information systems and repealing Council Framework Decision 2005/222/JHA) to improve cooperation between judicial and other competent authorities by approximating rules on criminal law in Member States.

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The current European Commission proposal to amend the Regulation about Visa Policy in third countries has two main goals: the suspension of a visa waiver for a third country on the positive list in case of an emergency situation and modifying the reciprocity mechanism. Agustin Díaz De Mera MEP (ES) is Rapporteur for the proposal.

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In the Special Committee on Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering (CRIM), the EPP Group Rapporteur Salvatore Iacolino MEP (IT) was responsible for drafting recommendations in a report to guide legislation development in the field of EU and Member State organised crime.

Committee on Constitutional Affairs: (AFCO) Preparing for successful European elections in 2014 Regarding the 2014 European elections, the EPP Group is setting best means for EU citizens to benefit from effective electoral representation. To give the new elected Parliament more election preparation time regarding the President of the European Commission (EC) in July 2014, and to enhance voter turnout, the EPP Group advocated the next European elections to be brought forward to 22-25 May. The EPP Group was among the first political groups to push European political parties to propose candidates for the EC President at the next European elections, who should lead the electoral campaign throughout the EU. This will boost the profile of the European elections and provide voter participation incentives. For the European Commission to better reflect citizens choices, the EPP Group has endorsed the proposal that as many of its Members as possible should be chosen among newly elected MEPs.

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Rafał Trzaskowski MEP (Poland), EPP Group Coordinator in the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament

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Finally, the EPP Group successfully initiated through Rafał Trzaskowski MEP (PL) a proposal to reduce the number of seats in the European Parliament after the 2014 elections to comply with the 751 seat limit set by the Lisbon Treaty, and to facilitate new Croatian Members.

Committee on Petitions: (PETI) The right of European citizens and residents to petition the EU/EP was enshrined with the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. The EPP Group supports the Committee on Petitions as an important legal instrument for citizens in the process of appropriate implementation of EU law by the Member States.

The EPP Group welcomed the implementation of the Regulation on the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) on 1 April 2012.

This ECI constitutes the first instrument for citizens to participate, within the limits of the Regulation, in the framing of European legislation. PETI, under the mentioned Regulation, will play an important role as the organiser of public hearings with the Committee responsible on the ECIs that were declared admissible by the European Commission. The EPP Group also Read News welcomed the designation by Commissioner Viviane Reding MEP (LU) of Report 2013 as the Year of the Citizen.

In her own-initiative report on “The impact of economic crisis on Gender equality and women’s rights”, Elisabeth Morin-Chartier MEP (FR) analysed the effects of the financial crisis on women. The Rapporteur suggested various measures to nullify detrimental effects, including: Member State promotion of active labour market policies and combatting undeclared work; adoption of measures facilitating the “return to work” of women who lost their jobs or interrupted their career for giving birth; provision of care services for children and other dependent persons; maintaining of maternity and other family allowances, and improving vocational training.

Equality in business has been dealt with in the elaboration of the EP report on “Improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures”. Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou MEP (EL), EPP Group Rapporteur in the FEMM Committee of the EP, and Angelika Niebler MEP (DE), Shadow Rapporteur in the Legal Affairs Committee of the EP, stand for clear and transparent procedures regarding the appointment of non-executive directors on the basis of gender equality.

In 2013, Lívia Járóka MEP (HU) presented a report on the Gender Aspects of the European Framework of National Roma Inclusion Strategies elaborating the gender aspects of the implementation of national strategies and underlining the need for more progress in the inclusion of Roma women.

Committee on Culture and Education: (CULT)

Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality: (FEMM)

“ERASMUS +” programme (Rapporteur Doris Pack MEP, DE)

In 2013, the EPP Group Members in the FEMM Committee of the European Parliament (EP) worked on several important issues concerning the core EPP Group value of gender equality.

Over 4 million people will benefit from EU grants for education and training opportunities (2014-2020) by acquiring additional skills and improving job

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“ERASMUS +” programme

prospects: more opportunities to study and train, for traineeships, teaching and professional development and for youth activities such as volunteering.

For the first time there is also a specific programme for Sport with a particular focus on grassroots sport.

A loan guarantee scheme for financing master’s degree students will allow more mobility facilities and new learning opportunities.

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Volunteering in Europe

SPORT Under the Chairmanship of Santiago Fisas Ayxela MEP (ES), the EPP Group established a Working Group on Sport dealing with topics such as the fight against doping, betting, TV rights, grassroots sports, dual career and welfare for athletes, the role of supporters and citizens in sports.

The efforts of our Chairwoman in the CULT Committee of the EP, Doris Pack MEP (DE), ensured a user-friendly and efficient programme. Brand names for the field of education are moreover maintained: Comenius (for school education), Erasmus (for higher education), Grundtvig (for adult learning) and Leonardo de Vinci (for vocational education and training) and Youth in Action (for youth activities).

Volunteering in Europe (Rapporteur Marco Scurria MEP, IT) The Rapporteur reiterated that volunteering demonstrates solidarity can triumph over egoism: volunteering is an opportunity to learn, to acquire qualifications and skills on a ‘work experience’ basis.

Implementategy 2010-2012

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Implementation of the EU Youth Strategy 2010-2012 (Rapporteur Georgios Papanikolaou MEP, EL) The Rapporteur observed the impact of the EU Youth Strategy in the first cycle (2010-2012) and called for the recommendations prepared by young people to be better taken into account in the future.

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Marian-Jean Marinescu MEP (Romania), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and Chairman of the EPP Group Working Group “Budget and Structural Policies”

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4. Standing Working Group “Budget and Structural Policies” Committee on Budgets: (BUDG)

Committee on Budgetary Control: (CONT)

The EPP Group focused on a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the period 2014-2020 that will be operational, transparent and responsive to the needs of EU citizens, in order to boost competitiveness and create jobs and growth in the EU.

The EPP Group Members of the Budgetary Control Committee in the EP have been busy protecting taxpayers interests and thus promoting better governance and shedding light on how the 141 billion EUR budget had been implemented.

Fully-fledged negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council on the MFF went on throughout the year, based on a report of Salvador Garriga Polledo MEP (ES). The EPP Group dominated these negotiations headed by BUDG Chairman Alain Lamassoure MEP (FR), MFF Rapporteur Reimer Böge MEP (DE) and Own Resources Rapporteur Jean-Luc Dehaene MEP (BE). The European Parliament (EP) was successful in introducing a number of significant improvements to the financial framework. The MFF will have a revision clause, requiring the Commission to review the budgetary framework, taking into account the economic developments. Moreover, the MFF will have provisions on an enhanced flexibility between categories of expenditure and between years, to ensure the full and optimal use of available resources.

The MFF agreement also foresaw the setting up of a High Level Group on Own Resources mandated to examine all aspects of the reform of the Own Resources system. Its first meeting was foreseen for December 2013. The system of the EU revenues have to be reconsidered, as the current system with rebates and lengthy negotiations are in-transparent and complicated.

Through the adoption of two amending budgets (2/2013, 8/2013), under the Rapporteurship of Giovanni La Via MEP (IT), a total of EUR 11.2bn in payments was approved additionally to the 2013 level. This will avoid shortfall in the EU’s payments in 2013 and allow the new MFF to start with a “clean sheet”.

EPP Group Member Eva Ortiz Vilella (ES) had the responsibility for the Discharge of the European Parliament budget. Against the background that the European Court of Auditors had found that the payments of administrative expenditure in 2011 had not been affected by material errors, the President of the European Parliament was discharged with a solid majority.

Two themes dominated the Committees delegation missions: protection of Own Resources, and funding the dismantling of old nuclear power plants. Committee Members visited the Kaliningrad enclave of Russia and the border area between Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Both regions have a past with a wide spread smuggling, and EU funds have been used to beef up the border controls.

Committee Members visited Ignalina (Lithuania), Bohunice (Slovakia) and Kozloduj (Bulgaria) nuclear power plants. EPP Group Members concluded that there were defects in the decommissioning programmes, including cost overruns, lack of coordination and ill-informed priority setting.

Following intensive negotiations led by the EPP Group Coordinator Ingeborg Grässle MEP (DE), the Parliament, Commission and the Council reached an agreement on the revision of OLAF’s legal framework. The new regulation is improving the ways OLAF can conduct investigations to combat fraud. The new regulation strengthens the procedural guarantees, and the rights of the persons concerned will be better protected.

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Ingeborg Gr채ssle MEP (Germany), EPP Group Coordinator in the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament

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Monica Luisa Macovei MEP (RO) led the negotiations with the Council and Commission on the Hercule III programme to promote activities in the field of the protection of the European Union’s financial interests.

Committee on Regional Development: (REGI) The comprehensive legislative package of the regulations on Cohesion Policy in 2014-2020 has been the core of the EPP Group Members work in the Regional Development Committee of the EP in 2013.

An important part of economic growth and job creation will come from the regions in Europe. Therefore, the EPP Group acted to improve the ability of the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) to have an impact on jobs and to ensure that the economic development will be of benefit for all parts of the EU. These regulations on Cohesion Policy are the cornerstone of European Union preparations of its activities in this decade. They comprise practically the entire EU investment expenditure towards the objectives of Europe 2020 strategy. The package consists of five regulations, three of them drafted by EPP Group Rapporteurs: the Common provisions on European Funds by Lambert van Nistelrooij MEP (NL), the specific provisions concerning the European Regional Development Fund and the ‘Investment for growth and jobs’ goal by Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL), and the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) by Joachim Zeller MEP (DE).

In the interinstitutional negotiations on the package, our Members have consistently pursued improving competitiveness, achieving higher sustainable growth and ensuring convergence between EU regions. The regulations shall guarantee a clear legal strategic framework and partnership of all levels of government and ensure more flexibility within the thematic concentration on the limited number of legally-binding objectives.

The negotiations with the Council were chaired by EPP Group Member Danuta Maria Hübner (PL), Chair of the REGI Committee of the EP.

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development: (AGRI) A historical political milestone was reached in 2013 with the agreement on the reform of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It was the first time when The European Parliament (EP) has been on an equal footing with the Council in this decision-making process.

Since the Commission published in late 2011 its legislative package for a new Common Agricultural Policy, EPP Group Members in the AGRI Committee of the EP, under their Coordinator Albert Dess MEP (DE), have worked intensively to ensure that the reform process results in a strong, sustainable and fair CAP, which serves European farmers and consumers, promotes rural development and protects and enhances the natural environment.

Of the four main regulations that will make up the future CAP along with the transitional regulation for 2014, EPP Group Members are Parliamentary Rapporteurs for three: Michel Dantin MEP (FR) is Rapporteur for the Single Common Market Organisation dossier, Giovanni La Via MEP (IT) is Rapporteur for the Horizontal and Financial Regulation and Albert Dess MEP (DE) is Rapporteur for the Transitional Regulation. In addition, Mairead McGuinness MEP (IE) and Elisabeth Köstinger MEP (AT) are the Group’s Shadow Rapporteurs for the Direct Payments and Rural Development dossiers respectively.

Central to all of our Members work has been the EPP Group’s conviction that the new CAP must free our farmers from red tape and make implementation easier for national administrations. The EPP Group supported better targeting

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and a more equal distribution of direct payments and backed efforts to improve the environmental performance of the CAP while thwarting proposals which would have added unnecessary administrative burdens on farmers.

Along with simplifying the CAP, the EPP Group prioritised measures to tackle the increased volatility seen on the agricultural markets in recent years, notably by strengthening the position of farmers within the food supply chain so that they may continue to produce safe, high quality and affordable food in sufficient quantities. Unless our farmers are able to earn a decent living, they will simply abandon the land altogether. And this threat is exacerbated by the fact that generational renewal in European farming is alarmingly low, giving added significance to the EPP Group’s successes in defending obligatory measures for young farmers and new entrants. Underpinning all of these successes has been the Group’s insistence, throughout the reform process, on the need for a strong budget to preserve the multifunctional role of European agriculture.

Committee on Fisheries: (PECH) The legislative activity of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament (EP) focused during 2013 essentially on the adoption of the package of proposals concerning the reform of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Our Members in the Committee targeted their work on preserving the European fishing sector, ensuring sustainable fishing resources and guarantying quality product for the consumers.

Topic

The Fisheries Committee in the EP is chaired by EPP Group Member Gabriel Mato Adrover (ES). The role played by the EPP Group Members led by the experienced Member Carmen Fraga Estévez (ES) has been significant, in particular, regarding the proposals of amendments to the texts concerning data collection, protection zones for juvenile fish, and fishing outside EU waters.

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The new CFP is to effect from the beginning of 2014. Member States will have to set sustainable fishing quotas from 2015 and in clearly defined exceptional cases by 2020. Fishermen will have to respect the “maximum sustainable yield” (MSY), i.e. catch no more than a given stock can reproduce in a given year.

Our Member Alain Cadec (FR) took the lead where the European Parliament has successfully drafted rules for allocating European Maritime and Fisheries Funds, and aid to help fishermen comply with the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) requirements.

This aid will help fishermen to comply with the discard ban by buying more selective fishing gear, but will also be used to improve safety and working conditions, data collection and port infrastructure. With his strong support the EPP Group has provided a clear future for our model of sustainable fisheries, which means first and foremost concrete measures to eliminate overfishing, and good management of fleet capacity, while enabling fishermen to make a living from fishing.

Voting in the AGRI Committee, January 2013

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> National Parliaments Service

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National Parliaments Service The EPP Group attaches great importance to maintaining close links with the Member States’ national Parliaments through regular meetings.

The Group’s relations with national Parliaments consisted of the following activities in 2013:

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18th Summit of Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the national Parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament, Brussels, 3 June 2013 The high-level reunion focused on the importance of having a strong long-term EU budget focused on growth and investments. Parliamentarians also addressed the challenges of the 2014 European elections and the perspectives of the Lithuanian EU Presidency. Joseph Daul MEP (EPP, FR), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-President of the EPP Group responsible for relations with National Parliaments, opened the summit.

On the “Multiannual Financial Framework and Own Resources”, the guest of honour, Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister, Luxembourg, pleaded for a new philosophy for the European long-term budget. Christian Jacob MP (UMP, FR), Chairman of the Parliamentary Group UMP in the French National Assembly, mentioned that the CAP should not be taken hostage in the on-going budget negotiations. Rafał Grupiński MP (PO, PL), Chairman of the PO Parliamentary Group in the Polish Parliament, stressed that the multiannual policies must have secured funding. Athanasios Bouras MP (ND, GR), Secretary-General of ND Parliamentary Group in the Greek Parliament, expressed his hopes that the new MFF will be a modern, flexible, transparent system for the European budget. Peter Östman MP (KD, FI), Chairman of KD Parliamentary Group, Finland, stated that the decisions on the MFF were linked to the direction of the European Union and its Member States. Giovanni La Via MEP (EPP, IT), Rapporteur on the EU general budget for 2013, said that the problems regarding the differences between payments and commitments will have to be resolved. Jean-Paul Gauzès MEP (EPP, FR), former Rapporteur on the European Semester, spoke about the possibility of making corrections when there is a lack of proper economic policy. During the debate, Michael Schneider (EPP/CoR, DE), Chairman of the EPP Group in the Committee of Regions, and Janusz Lewandowski, European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, made very significant interventions.

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Speaking about the “challenges of the European elections 2014 and the new legislature”, Wilfried Martens, President of the European People’s Party, stressed that the 2014 elections will be crucial in defining whether Europe continues on the road towards full recovery. Corien Wortmann-Kool MEP (EPP, NL), ViceChairwoman of the EPP Group and Vice-President of the European People’s Party, stressed that putting forward candidates representing every political family is likely to give a more European dimension to the debate. Francis Delpérée MP (CDH, BE), Chairman of the CDH Parliamentary Group in the Senate, Belgium, touched upon different legal and procedural issues. During the debate, important insights came from various Members including: Beatriz Rodríguez-Salmones MP (PP, ES), Member of the Joint Committee for the European Union in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, Arto Satonen MP (KOK, FI), Vice-Chair of the KOK Parliamentary Group in the Finnish Parliament, Tsvetan Tsvetanov MP (GERB, BG), Deputy Chairperson of GERB Parliamentary Group, Paulo Mota Pinto MP (PSD, PT), Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs in the Portuguese Assembly, Richárd Hörcsik MP (FIDESZ, HU), Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs in the Hungarian National Assembly, Jean Bizet MP (UMP, FR), Vice-President of the Committee on European Affairs in the French Senate, and Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-President of the EPP Group.

Audronius Ažubalis MP (TS-LKD, LT), Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Affairs in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, delivered a presentation on the priorities of the upcoming Lithuanian Presidency, which strives for a credible, growing and open Europe.

The Chairmen of the EPP Parliamentary Group in the EU adopted a declaration of commitment to the reform process, which aims to promote growth, create jobs and increase the competitiveness of the EU economy.

l-r: Jean-Paul Gauzès MEP (EPP, FR), Former Rapporteur on the European Semester; Christian Jacob MP (UMP, FR), Chairman of the Parliamentary Group UMP at the National Assembly, France; Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg; Beatrice Scarascia Mugnozza, Head of EPP Service in charge of Relations with National Parliaments; Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Relations with National Parliaments; Joseph Daul MEP (EPP, FR), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament; Charles Flanagan MP (FG, IE), Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Group; and Wilfried Martens, President of the European People’s Party, June 2013

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19th Summit of the Chairmen of the EPP Parliamentary Groups in the EU, Brussels, 2 December 2013 The 19th Summit of the Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the National Parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament focused on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP): present situation and future perspectives, Economic and Monetary Union and the challenges of innovation.

Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Relations with National Parliaments opened the summit underlining that policy-makers should be ready to respond to citizens’ needs because a more cohesive Europe can be built only with their support. This applies, in his view, also to the economic union.

The EPP Group Chairman Joseph Daul MEP (EPP, FR) recalling the two topics of the summit pointed out that they have always been at the heart of national sovereignty and for this reason to make progress in these fields it is necessary to work closely with national Parliaments. If there is one conclusion from the crisis that our continent has gone through it is how interconnected we all are. Because of this interconnection we are forced to integrate and work together even more closely when it comes to our policy making.

As regards the CSDP Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services and Antonio Tajani, European Commission VicePresident and Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship presented a detailed overview of the means by which the European Union can be more effective. Member of the Defence Committee of the Bundestag (Germany) Roderick Kiesewetter MP (CDU, DE) called for credible and independent security and defence policy, which will be only possible by the political will for more European unity. Arnaud Danjean MEP (EPP, FR), Chairman of the

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Committee for Security and Defence said that EU needs to establish clear priorities and needs to develop common means of acting. Agostino Miozzo, Managing director of the Crisis Response Department in the European External Action Service pointed out that for European Common Security and Defence policy it is time for transition, while Charles Flanagan MP (FG, IE), Chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party outlined that Ireland is willing to play its full part in the on-going shaping of European defence architecture.

Iñigo Méndez De Vigo, Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs gave a presentation on the Lisbon Treaty status-quo and put forward some lines to advance it. He said that the way Europe has always marched seems the right answer; a reform based on building the four blocks - Banking Union, Fiscal Union, Economic Union, and Political Union are necessary.

The President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy opened the debate on the Economic and Monetary Union and the challenges of innovation presenting the state of play and calling for the implementation from the Members States of the decisions already agreed. The specific task - he said was to save the euro and the Eurozone and to restore confidence and credibility in the Eurozone – targets that have been finally reached. Elmar Brok MEP (EPP, DE) Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, maintained that it is necessary to work on implementing the instruments on the basis of which has been already put in place - namely the Fiscal Union (Six Pack, Two Pack).

Othmar Karas MEP (EPP, AT), Vice-President of the European Parliament, agreed on the need to intensify the links between National Parliaments and the European Parliament to make the decision-making process more legitimate. Alfonso Alonso MP (PP, ES), Partido Popular Spokesman in the

l-r: Beatrice Scarascia Mugnozza, Head of Service in charge of Relations with National Parliaments; Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Relations with National Parliaments; Joseph Daul MEP (EPP, FR), Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament; Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council; Iñigo Méndez De Vigo, Spanish Secretary of State for European Affairs; Elmar Brok MEP (EPP, DE), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; and Othmar Karas MEP (EPP, AT), Vice-President of the European Parliament.

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Congress, underlined that the Spanish parliament strongly believes in more EU integration. Pablo Zalba Bidegain MEP (EPP, ES), Vice-Chair of the Economic and Monetary Committee called for more democratic legitimacy in the integration process. Theodor Dumitru Stolojan MEP (EPP, RO), Vice-Chair of the Economic and Monetary Committee, called for the involvement of National Parliaments at an earlier stage in the European Semester preparations.

Audronius Azubalis MP (TS-LKD, LT), former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas debriefed on the Lithuanian EU Presidency and Konstantinos Moussouroulis MP (ND, EL), Vice-President of the European Affairs Committee presented the priorities of the upcoming Greek EU Presidency.

The Chairmen of EPP Parliamentary Groups in the National Parliaments of the EU and the European Parliament strongly condemned the use of brutal force against peaceful manifestations taking place in Kyiv. In a declaration adopted at the end of the summit the EPP leaders in the European Parliament and National Parliaments underline that “ the threats of introducing the state of emergency by President Yanukovych are going against the fundamental principles of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, therefore being in breach of universal and European values.�

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l-r: Beatrice Scarascia Mugnozza, Head of Service in charge with Relations with National Parliaments; Audronius Azubalis MP (TS-LKD, LT), former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas; Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Relations with National Parliaments; Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services; Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship; and Agostino Miozzo, Managing director of the Crisis Response Department in the European External Action Service.

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EPP EU Affairs Networks The 9th Network Meeting of EPP National Parliamentarians responsible for European Affairs and EPP Group Members of the European Parliament, Brussels, 4 March 2013 The meeting focused on the reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and the role of national Parliaments in strengthening the democratic legitimacy of EU. The debate on Common Agricultural Policy Reform was introduced by Dara Murphy MP (FG, IE), who remembered that Ireland was undertaking its role to finalise MFF negotiations before the end of June. Czesław Adam Siekierski MEP (EPP, PL), and Jean Bizet MP (UMP, FR), insisted that “the expenditure on the CAP had been decreasing and at the same time, higher expectations were being placed on agriculture”. Johannes Schmuckenschlager MP (ÖVP, AT), referred to the cuts in the CAP and the free-trade agreement with the US. Charles Flanagan MP (FG, IE), underlined the importance of maintaining a clear division between the CAP and the Rural Development Policy and Jean-Pierre Audy MEP (EPP, FR), highlighted the lack of “agricultural vision” in the EU.

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Rubén Moreno Palanqués MP (PP, ES), insisted on the need to improve the decision-making process within the Interparliamentary cooperation in the framework of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. Rafał Trzaskowski MEP (EPP, PL) considered that there was some misconception that the national Parliaments and the EP were rivals, but underlined that they, in fact, reinforce one another. Antonio Rodriguez NP (PSD, PT), Kazys Starkevicius MP (TS-LKD, LT) and Josep Sanchez I Llibre MP (Unio, ES) highlighted the importance of coordination between national Parliaments and the European Parliament. Mats Odell MP (KD, SE), added that the overall European profile could be raised through “parliamentarian ambassadors” who would kept updated and informed with regard to the European agenda and would convey this information to their colleagues in national Parliaments.

l-r: Jean Bizet MP (UMP, FR), Vice-President of the Committee on European Affairs in the French Senate; Dara Murphy MP (FG, IE), Chair of the Fine Gael Committee on European Affairs, Foreign Affairs & Trade, Ireland; Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Relations with National Parliaments; Czesław Adam Siekierski MEP (EPP, PL), Vice-Chair, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development; Kazys Starkevicius MP (TS-LKD, LT), Former Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, March 2013

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The 10th Network Meeting of EPP National Parliamentarians responsible for European Affairs and EPP Group Members of the European Parliament, Brussels, 14 October 2013 The Network of National Parliamentarians in charge of European Affairs and Members of the EPP Group in the European Parliament met to discuss the best solutions to fight unemployment, youth unemployment in particular, and the role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in economic recovery. The situation in Syria was also on the agenda.

Introducing the first panel Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT) stressed that the EU should ensure that the Union is acquiring the institutional and policy programs to enable the North, South, East and West and the Centre to be together: a cohesive and competitive society. Continuing, Regina Bastos MEP (EPP, PT) outlined that additional measures like the recognition of professional qualifications and the establishment of a better link between education and labour market would be needed. Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska MEP (EPP, PL) and Paulius Saudargas MP (TS-KLD, LT) underlined that youth unemployment can be diminished both by building a strong economy and an educational system adequate to labour market. Csaba Őry MEP (EPP, HU) concluded that as a whole new Member States are performing better than old ones, especially mentioning the results Poland has achieved in the past years.

Opening the second panel Paul Rübig MEP (EPP, AT) stressed that in the European perspective, if the 20 million SMEs would employ one person each, the problem of the unemployment would be solved in EU. Paolo Tancredi MP (PDL, IT) underlined that in order to help SMEs, a number of measures have to be taken with regard to simplification of rules at European level such as better planning of structural funds and the internationalisation of SMEs. EPP Group Vice-President, Gunnar Hökmark MEP (EPP, SE) stated that in comparison to the US, in Europe big enterprises are older which

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means that start-ups in Europe are suffering a disadvantage compared to those in the US and China. Daniel Calleja Crespo, Director General of DG Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission detailed the priorities of the Commission concerning SMEs, namely: enhancement of access to financing; improvement of information concerning opportunities for SMEs; and improvement of access to market, through initiatives like Enterprise Europe Network. Davor Božinović MP (HDZ, HR), Deborah Bergamini MP (PDL, IT), Prodromos Prodromou MP (DISY, CY), Dara Murphy MP (FG, IE) and Pablo Casado Blanco MP (PP, ES) emphasised that the competitiveness of businesses, the possibility to access to capital and finally a need for political and regional stability are the heart of any economic growth.

Mairead McGuinness MEP (EPP, IE) EPP Group Vice-President responsible for the Working Group on Foreign Affairs stated that current situation in Syria is so complex that no clear view has been shaped, other than condemning human rights abuses. However, as the situation might further escalate, a common EU approach will be desirable and essential. Dara Murphy MP (FG, IE) added that in this issue Europe’s foreign policy potential is not effectively used as there is no single EU position at the moment. Antonio Rodrigues MP (PSD, PT), Prodromou Prodromos MP (DISY, CY) and Agnieszka Pomaska, Chairwoman of the European Affairs Committee of the Sejm, MP (PO, PL) said that there are difficulties in understanding the situation in Syria and an option could be to ask an international Conference to discuss the problem.

She agreed with the others that the situation in Syria is still too confused.

l-r: Regina Bastos MEP (EPP, PT), Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs; Joanna Katarzyna Skrzydlewska MEP (EPP, PL), Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Rapporteur “Youth Unemployment”; Michael Stübgen MP (CDU/CSU, DE), European Affairs Spokesman for CDU/CSU; Paulo Rangel MEP (EPP, PT), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group responsible for Relations with National Parliaments; Miguel Seabra, EPP Group adviser; and Csaba Őry MEP (EPP, HU), Member of the Bureau of the EPP Group, Member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, October 2013

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EPP Young Members Network

EPP and Inter-parliamentary cooperation in the EU

The 7th Meeting of the ‘Young Members Network’, comprised of Members of the national and European Parliaments’, who were 36 years old or younger, was hosted by Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa (EPP, PL) and took place in Gdansk (Poland) on 19-21 September 2013. The meeting focused on three key subjects: Cohesion Policy and effective structural investment for all EU regions, Third generation human rights and Maritime policy: the future of shipbuilding industry in the EU, challenges for GLOCAL Industries.

Over the past year, different EP Committees have organised several joint committee meetings on specific issues. In 2013, these included among others: Women’s response to the crisis, equal and effective application of EU environmental law, policy coherence for development and donor coordination, the fight against organised crime, corruption and money laundering, the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchange, the Stockholm Programme, the free movement of citizens, the European Semester, the European Global Strategy, the implementation of the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, the Future of European Defence, models of parliamentary scrutiny of expenditure, and the improvement of synergies between local, national and EU level to deliver the EU 2020 strategy.

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7th EPP Young Members Network Meeting in Sopot - Gdańsk, Poland, September 2013

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> Neighbourhood Policy and Intercultural Activities Service

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Neighbourhood Policy and Intercultural Activities Service Euro-Mediterranean Policy Summary In 2013, under the leadership of the Group Vice-Chairman Vito Bonsignore (IT), the EPP Group and its Working Group on Mediterranean policy has pursued its initiatives to reinforce the institutional activities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM), and its presence in the Mediterranean political context. The main purpose was to promote the EPP Group’s political commitment in the Mediterranean by closer cooperation with potential new country partners.

migration, religious tolerance, economic exchanges, environment protection, women’s role in the society and more South-South cooperation. Moreover, the need to set up democratic institutions and establish the rule of law to protect every individual is stressed.

The EPP Group has continued its daily activity through political visits to the Mediterranean countries, by inviting new leaders to the European Parliament and by intensifying meetings together with the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), jointly with the EPP and the CES Foundation.

The EPP Group’s activities in 2013 included:

Following the Arab revolutions, the EPP Group adapted its strategy towards the Mediterranean by looking for parties, political movements and civil society organisations committed to building new democracies based on shared values.

Therefore, the EPP Group’s 2013 activity has been strengthened through a political network extending its sphere of influence to countries where new democratic rules can uphold the supremacy of legality. The EPP Group is perceived as a genuine European political player which can offer cooperation based on values and on principles: not by imposing its ideology or through a disguised coloniser approach, but as a strong and reliable partner for a common Mediterranean strategy.

The EPP Group strategy promotes peace, democracy, the rule of law, stability, respect of human rights, the fight against terrorism, security, mutual comprehension and deals with issues now affecting the Mediterranean, such as

›› The support for reform of Constitutional Charters ›› The promotion of a Euro-Mediterranean Charter of Values ›› Exchange programs for Mediterranean politicians ›› Women’s role in Arab society and in the political sphere ›› The respect of ethnic and religious minorities in the EUROMED countries ›› The cultural dialogue and exchanges between both sides of the Mediterranean ›› The promotion of the economic and energy cooperation between the EU and Mediterranean countries ›› The political promotion of South-South cooperation ›› The promotion of culture and education in EUROMED countries

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Work Structure a. EPP Group Working Group EUROMED on Euro-Mediterranean Policy The EPP Working Group on the Euro-Mediterranean Policy, under the Chairmanship of Vito Bonsignore MEP (IT), held regular monthly meetings throughout 2013. In every meeting a special relevant guest is invited for an exchange of views.

The EPP Working Group on EUROMED invited Ministers from Mediterranean countries (Morocco), Members of Parliament (Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Libya and Israel), Ambassadors (all EUROMED countries), professors, experts and opposition leaders (including members of the Syrian opposition), for sharing information, discussing strategies and formulating initiatives.

The EPP Working Group on EUROMED also held meetings with European Commission representatives, in particular with Stefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, and the European External Action Service (EEAS), with Hugues Mingarelli, Managing Director for the Middle East and Southern Neighbourhood. The EPP Working Group on EUROMED provides the opportunity to discuss the Group’s future initiatives, events, and fact-finding missions to consolidate the EPP Group strategy across the Mediterranean region. b. Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) and EP Inter-parliamentary Delegations The Arab Spring has checked the ambitions of the institutional EuroMediterranean activities under the Parliamentary Assembly PA-UfM. The EP Inter-parliamentary Delegations have intensified their activities in Mashreq and Maghreb countries, Israel, Turkey and Palestine.

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The 9th Plenary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM) was held on 11-12 April 2013, in Brussels. Issues relating to peace in the region and the role of women in the new governance were discussed. The EPP Group recalled that a draft recommendation on a Euro-Mediterranean Charter of Values was adopted by the Plenary in Rabat in March 2012, but Assembly work – based on peace, democracy, stability and respect of human rights – had not been started. In 2013, the EPP Group followed up these objectives: A Delegation invested significantly in the work of the five parliamentary commissions, bringing to the last Plenary in Rabat three recommendations which it initiated and drafted: ›› On the role of women in Arab society ›› On how to strengthen economic cooperation ›› Euro-Mediterranean Charter of Values The Euro-Mediterranean Charter of Values was adopted by the Plenary 2012.

This Charter of Values promoted by the EPP Group, has to be developed with a draft Charter, as it was adopted in the Plenary of Rabat. The same recommendation calls on a Euro-Mediterranean convention composed of government representatives, national Parliaments and the European Parliament to adopt a “Euro-Mediterranean Charter of Values” based on this draft proposal by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. The EPP Group’s main goal is to work together with all Mediterranean countries with clear objectives. The EPP Group proposed a process of revitalisation of the Assembly, with a strong political role in support of the Mediterranean Partnership. The main proposal was that the PA-UfM should be organised by political groups rather by Member States. We are committed to this objective.

The EPP Group is seeking political partners in the South Mediterranean to act jointly in the PA-UfM in order to promote common principles and values.

EPP Political Initiatives As the driving political force in the European Parliament, the EPP Group is willing to become the main political actor of the EU in the Mediterranean countries after the Arab revolutions to accompany political transformation and evolution towards democracy. Achieving this goal requires greater synergy based on strategic common objectives. In April 2013, the EPP Group Read Press organised a three day visit to the EP of Lebanese women candidates to Release legislative elections in Lebanon. The participation of women in public life is Watch fundamental, especially in the process of democratisation and new governance Video: in Southern Mediterranean countries.

Read News On 7 May 2013, the EPP Group celebrated the EPP Annual Meeting with Report Ambassadors of EUROMED countries in Brussels.

In October 2013, the EPP Working Group met with Abdulmajid El Mansuri, Chairman of the Libyan Economic Development Consultancy Corp (ABC).

He served as Chairman of the Euro-Afro Almutawassit Media Corp and as a Member of the Advisory Board of the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Mr El Mansuri presented the political situation in Libya and sought a political initiative as democracy, the state of rule and fundamental rights are currently overridden. The EPP Group announced new initiatives in order to include again Libya in the EU political agenda.

In November 2013, the EPP Working Group invited for discussions Ribal Al Assad, founder and Director of the Democracy and Freedom Organisation in Syria. Following considerations on the political, military and social situation, Members shared the opinion that the EU should play also a political role in Syria and in the Middle East, as part of the EU Neighbourhood Policy.

On 27 November 2013, the EPP Group met the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Cooperation of Egypt, Mr Ziad Bahaa El-Din.

Discussions focused on the future of the Egypt Constitution and the timetable of the next democratic steps. The EPP Group confirmed its commitment to encourage the Egyptian authorities and political forces to pursue its efforts towards democratic stability.

In September 2012, the EPP Family (EPP Group, EPP and CES Foundation) organised the First EPP Exchange Programme with representatives from Tunisia – young politicians from three different political parties: Ennahdha, Jomhouri, Nidaa Tounes and with the Front des Jeunes organisation. Following the political and social disruption caused by the Arab revolutions, the main objective was to create a political network and to increase the EPP Family influence and to find reliable partners to promote democracy and the full respect of human rights.

In September 2013, the EPP Family have developed an EPP Exchange Programme with Members of Parliament from the Kingdom of Morocco as the second of a series of exchange programmes to establish a solid political network with partners sharing similar values in Morocco. Members of Morocco came from PJD, Istiklal, PAM, Mouvement Populaire, RNI and Union Constitutionnelle. Jean Roatta MEP (FR) was responsible for the political coordination of the event.

In January 2014, the EPP Family will organise an EPP Exchange Programme with Members of Parliament of Algeria, inviting Members of RND Party and Representatives of the civil society, in order to continue its political strategy in the Maghreb. Tokia Saïfi MEP (FR) assumes responsibility for the political coordination of the event.

The EPP Exchange Programmes will be finalised by the EPP Mediterranean Summit in 2014, in Jordan. Parties and representatives of civil society from the Mediterranean region, already invited to the various EPP Exchange Programmes in Brussels, will meet again with the EPP political representatives

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l-r: EPP Exchange Programme with Members of Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco Hakima Fasly MP, Mohammed Zerdali MP, Samir Belefkill MP, Ahmed Ezbakhe, Professor University of Rabat, Jean Roatta MEP (EPP Group, France), Fouzia Elbayed MP, Mustapha Assellalou MP and Fatima Gouima MP September 2013

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to reinforce the EPP political network and for lunching possible common initiatives.

The EPP Exchange Programmes have been developed with the EPP and the EPP Centre of European Studies (CES).

Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood: Deepening integration Under the leadership of Gunnar Hökmark MEP (SE), EPP Group ViceChairman, the EPP Group has pursued building a strong and secure Europe by forging relations with the countries of South-East Europe aspiring to EU membership, and advancing ties with Eastern countries through the Association Agreements. A strong and secure Europe, free of instability, is a primary EPP Group policy. Deepening the integration process across the continent is one of the tools for achieving this aim.

2013 was significant as regards the structure of the Eastern dimension of the European Neighbourhood Policy. The negotiations on the set of Association Agreements between the European Union and Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine were concluded and approved by the Vilnius Summit that took place on 28 and 29 November 2013.

2013 brought also negatives in the political development of Eastern Europe.

The deterioration of the position of the pro-western forces in Eastern Europe was significant in Georgia. The Georgian United National Movement (EPP observer) suffered defeat in the October presidential elections in which the candidate of the UNM, David Bakradze, stayed behind the candidate of the Georgian Dream, Giorgi Margvelashvili. The era of Mikhail Saakashvili was ending, leaving worries about the state of democracy in the country where dozens of UNM party activists, including former Premier and Interior

Minister Vano Merabishvili, remain in prison. The Eastern dimension of the Neighbourhood Policy turned negative in Armenia where its political leadership decided to join the Customs Union with the Russian Federation and other former Soviet Republics. Further plans centre on the formation of a Eurasian Economic Union. The EU-Ukraine Summit in February 2013 resolved problems related to electoral law, judicial reform and conditions to allow the former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to travel to European Union to undergo medical treatment. The European Parliament’s monitoring mission helped in this regard. In Belarus, not all political prisoners have been released and rehabilitated; respect for human rights, the rule of law and democratic principles have not improved. Therefore the Council extended EU restrictive Read Press Release measures against Belarus until 31 October 2014.

Upon the initiative of Krzysztof Lisek MEP (PL), the EPP Group organised a conference devoted to Georgia in June 2013. David Bakradze, former Parliamentary speaker and presidential candidate, Giorgi Ugulava, Mayor of Tbilisi, and Zaza Meishvili, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of View Programme Georgia were noteworthy participants.

In September 2013 an EPP Group Fact Finding Mission monitored developments. The EPP Group Delegation, under the leadership of the Group’s Vice-Chairman Gunnar Hökmark MEP (SE), met with the future president Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and also visited former Prime Minister of Georgia Vano Merabishvili in the Tbilisi Penitentiary.

The EPP Group actively contributed to the results of the 3rd EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly that took place on 27-29 May in Brussels. Energy policy, EU funding, peace and security and Belarus were the main topics on the agenda. The EPP Group together with the EPP Party organised a meeting of the EPP Group in EURONEST PA prior to the Assembly session which facilitated the course of the discussions during the plenary session. The

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Third EPP Group Conference: Western Balkans A Future with Europe Brussels, 29 January 2013

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meeting of the EPP family within the EURONEST endorsed the close relations with the EPP and like-minded parties from the Eastern Neighbourhood.

The EPP Group promotes the inclusion of Western Balkan countries as fully integrated Member States of the European Union. This commitment towards European integration was highlighted through the annual high level conference in January 2013. Keynote speakers included Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of Albania; Suzana Grubješić, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of Serbia; Antonio Milošoski, Chair of the Foreign Committee of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s Parliament and former Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. EPP Group Members included: Elmar Brok MEP (DE), Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the EP; Doris Pack MEP (DE), Chairwoman of the Culture and Education Committee of the EP; and Eduard Kukan MEP (SK), Chairman of the EP Delegation for Relations with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. The EPP Group monitors closely the political processes in the Balkans and remains engaged in close dialogue with political parties.

View Pro- The Working Group on Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood Policy, led gramme by Gunnar Hökmark MEP (SE), EPP Group Vice-Chair, met fourteen times in Watch 2013. The Working Group provides a platform to establish long term policies Video towards the Southern European States as well as to the Eastern Partnership.

The Members monitor the political development in Eastern Europe and South East Europe, focusing on the problems related to the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly and the Enlargement process. The Working Group continued the regular meetings with the Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, who attended the Working View Topic Group meetings during the plenary sessions in Strasbourg.

Interreligious Dialogue Activities in 2013 Under Vice-Chairman Jan Olbrycht MEP (PL), the EPP Group engaged in a series of discussions involving religion and politics, including the many ways in which religion and politics interact in the European Union and globally.

Religious freedoms in the EU and third party countries, as well as the ethical and moral reasons that mobilise and motivate people were discussed in the frame of conferences, seminars, and breakfast meetings. Themes including the rise of religious activism in society and the re-emergence of religious discrimination; the situation of Christians outside Europe; and the role of faith-based organisations in secular society were additionally discussed.

Freedom of Religion Conference guests gave voice that religious freedom is necessary not only to the religion itself, but to the flourishing of all societies everywhere.

Representatives of Christian churches emphasised that the articulations of the concept of religious freedom is related to Christian assumptions and practices.

This does not mean that religious freedom as conceived within the Christian tradition is only for Christians – quite the contrary. Members highlighted that religious freedom is a universal right and a universal good – recent reports worryingly demonstrate that 75 percent of the world’s population live in countries where religious freedom is severely restricted.

The Situation of Christians in the World Delegations reported on the violent persecution against Christians and other minorities because of their religious beliefs. Many Middle Eastern Christians are fleeing the countries where their communities have for two millennia helped mould and shape history and culture, including Coptic Christians in

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Diversity and Multiculturalism: the Indonesian Story l-r: Prof Dr Thomas Schirrmacher, Professor of Sociology of Religions, Director of International Institute for Religious Freedom (Bonn, Cape Town, Colombo), Rev. Eko Armada Riyanto, Rector of the Catholic School of Philosophy and Theology ‘Widya Sasana’, East Java, Dr Atho Mudzar, Muslim scholar, Islamic State University, Jakarta, H.E. Bahrul Hayat, Ph.D, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Jan Olbrycht MEP (Poland), Vice-Chairman of the EPP Group, Responsible for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue, H.E. Arif Havas Oegroseno, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union and Werner Langen MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chair of the Southeast Asia Delegation of the European Parliament Brussels, 5 June 2013

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post-Mubarak Egypt and Syria, home to one of the most ancient Christian communities. This is a tragedy, not only for the Christian victims, but for those societies themselves which have benefited from the presence of Christians who were free to engage in the public life of their respective nations.

Dialogue with high ranking Representatives of Islamic countries The EPP Group’s Interreligious Dialogue meeting with officials from Islamic countries provided a platform to reflect on the situation of Muslim minorities in Europe as well as the relationship between the EU and Islamic countries.

The exchange of views between the EPP Group and the Islamic guests explored how foreign affairs, immigration policies, multiculturalism, and secularism have been shaped by the recent international political, economic and social context.

Unity in diversity – the case of Indonesia Read News

The seminar examined how religious belief and expression fit into the modern political and economic infrastructures of the world’s most populous Muslim View Pro- country. The event was jointly organised with the Indonesian Embassy and gramme the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Indonesian Government. Participants gained an intimate view about interfaith relations and current debates on the role of religion in Southeast Asia. Conference speakers focused on the interaction between external Islamic influences and local political and religious traditions, and discussed the extent to which this produced thinking and institutions distinctive to Indonesia. Particular attention was paid to issues such as sharia-isation, gender discourses, militant Islamism and liberal Islamic thought in a country undergoing economic development and a modernisation process.

Krakow Conference on the importance of Family in contemporary Europe The Krakow Churches Conference was dedicated to the role of family in contemporary European society. It was organised in cooperation by the EPP Group, the Robert Schuman Foundation, the Pontifical University John Paul II, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Commission of the Bishops of the European Community. Discussions focused on policies that are needed to support and protect the family as the ‘primary cell of the society’.

Despite contemporary transformations in today’s society in terms of family organisation and legislation in the EU, the ‘family’ continues to have a special place in the social and civil order.

Annual Interreligious Dialogue Conference in Cyprus The biggest event of the year addressed the on-going substantial transformations throughout the Mediterranean basin, from the perspective of the major religions of the region - Judaism, Christianity (both Eastern and Latin) and Islam. It considered patterns of interaction and modes of religious pluralism, and themes in relation to changes in political institutions and the wider societies of the Mediterranean countries.

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View Programme

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> International Relations Service

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International Relations Service 2013 has been a year of important political events, which impacted the EU and its partners throughout the world. Particularly events in the Middle East and Asia have been on the top of the international agenda in 2013. The year began with the French, and later EU supported, intervention in Mali. To seek stability and foster democracy many efforts were undertaken throughout the year.

However, violence was prevalent in the region, in particular in Syria and Iraq, but also in Egypt, Libya and Lebanon. In this context one must sadly also mention the increased level of religiously motivated violence, which in particular in Egypt and Nigeria led to the loss of many innocent lives. MEPs have discussed these issues at numerous meetings with counterparts from the region.

has been the on-going protests in Brazil. Since the summer protests, at times violent, have erupted against social injustice and rising prices. On the African continent attention has been focused on stability and the fight against extremism. In this light one can also mention the recent announcement of the end of the violent struggle by the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In March the international spotlight turned to Asia, after North Korea conducted its third nuclear test, which led to an increased level of the already existing UN sanctions. Furthermore, as a consequence, relations between North and South Korea deteriorated significantly. While a violent confrontation was avoided, relations on the Peninsula remain strained. An EP Delegation to North and South Korea, led by Herbert Reul MEP (DE), in July held direct talks with both sides. Next to the North Korean problem, increased attention has been put on the territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas, in particular the dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Island between China and Japan (and Taiwan).

2013 was full of important political events marked by increased parliamentary activities. Throughout the year a large number of interparliamentary meetings were held in Brussels, Strasbourg, EU capitals and partner countries. In total over 40 Inter-parliamentary meetings and 10 EP Election Observation Missions (EOM) took place. The European Parliament in 2013 hence continued its pledge to foster and support democracy not only in Europe, but also on a global level.

In Latin America key attention focused on Venezuela after the death of longtime president Hugo Chavez. Hopes for a true democratic change however failed after the election of Nicolas Maduro as president. Another key event

Unfortunately, 2013 has also been marked by violence and many innocent lives were lost through terrorist attacks in Boston, Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nairobi.

Given the increased global importance of the BRICS countries, the International Relations Service has launched the “EPP BRICS Breakfast”.

A number of meetings were thus organised where high ranking EEAS officials dealing with the different BRICS countries, were invited to an informal discussion with EPP Members. These meetings hence underline the EPP’s interest in the BRICS countries and promote a closer engagement with them.

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Edith Bauer MEP (EPP Group, Slovakia) and Carlo Casini MEP (EPP Group, Italy) representing the EPP Group Delegation during 10th ACP-EU JPA regional meeting, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria, July 2013

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Latin America Next to the Inter-parliamentary Meeting in Mexico in May, the two key events regarding EU-Latin America parliamentary cooperation concerned the January EUROLAT plenary session in Chile, as well as the EUROLAT meetings in Vilnius in July. The EUROLAT Plenary Session in Santiago was formally opened by the HR/VP Ashton and Mr Escalona, President of the Senate of the Republic of Chile. Baroness Ashton and the Chairman of the EUROLAT Parliamentary Assembly, and EPP Group AFET Coordinator, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra (ES), stressed the intensity of political relations between the two regions as well as Latin America’s economic growth. They spoke of a relationship “ between equals” that “goes far beyond development aid and paternalism”. The three standing Parliamentary Committees debated on the on-going dossiers on topics which mark the political agenda and the relations between the EU and the Latin American countries. Concurrently, three meetings took place; the EUROLAT-Latin American Civil society meeting; the EUROLAT-Latin American Women Forum; and the meeting of the political sister parties gathering Members of both components.

Africa, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) Next to regional meetings in the Dominican Republic in February and in Nigeria in July, the 25th plenary session was held in Brussels in June. The Economic Partnership Agreements, the threats posed by military coups to the ACP stability and the human resources in the health sector were the main reports adopted by the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly. The report on the “Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) – next steps” was adopted unanimously and all parties stressed that the conclusion and smooth implementation of comprehensive and balanced EPAs should facilitate sustainable development of the ACP States. They recalled that the regional

integration of the ACP countries is one of the main objectives of the EPA negotiations and urged all negotiating parties to maintain the political will, flexibility and pragmatism in order to achieve a rapid conclusion of on-going negotiations of comprehensive EPAs. Adopting the report on “The threats that represent, once again, the military coups for democracy and political stability in ACP countries, and the role of the international community” co-written by EPP Group MEP Mariya Gabriel (BG), the JPA noted that the legal instruments for countering anti-constitutional changes of government do not suffice by themselves to prevent military coups. In addition, the JPA discussed the security situation of Sahel and Mali. Finally, a meeting of the Windhoek dialogue, chaired by Michael Gahler MEP (DE), led to further discussions and highlighted the close link between the EPP Group and its ACP partners.

North America The key event in this region was the 74 th TLD in Dublin in May/June. The Irish Minister of State for Public Works and Public Sector Reform, Brian Hayes, opened the first session on economic governance and trade. He stressed the continuing economic difficulties in Europe and notably the urgency of addressing youth unemployment. Opening the second session on “Perspectives for a TTIP and regulatory cooperation”, Chairman Christian Ehler MEP (DE) pointed to the need for a deep and continuous dialogue on regulatory cooperation with all stakeholders. This was a theme picked up by several speakers. Several speakers addressed likely obstacles in the TTIP negotiations. Seán Kelly MEP (IE) warned against keeping sectors out of the negotiations from the start and underlined the need to “win the media battle” by outlining gains of an agreement to jobs and growth.

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Christian Ehler (Chairman) MEP (EPP Group, Germany) Elmar Brok MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Danuta Huebner MEP (EPP Group, Poland) and Sean Kelly MEP (EPP Group, Ireland) with Members of the United States House of Representatives and the European Parliament meet in Leinster House, Dublin, during the 74th EU/US Interparliamentary Meeting and Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue Meeting (TLD), May/June 2013

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Monika Panayotova MEP (EPP Group, Bulgaria) far right, Elisabeth Jeggle MEP (EPP Group, Germany) third from right, and Regina Bastos MEP (EPPÂ Group, Portugal) third from left, visiting The Australian War Memorial during the 36th EU-Australia Interparliamentary Meeting, February 2013

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Asia Next to a successful meeting of the 36th EU-Australia IPM in Canberra in January, a number of meetings were organised. In April/May the Delegation for relations with India visited their counterparts to deepen relations with this strategic partner and to follow-up on a recent plenary resolution. In February the 34th EU-Japan IPM took place in Tokyo and gave participants the opportunity to review in detail the political and regional situation in Japan.

The Japanese side, in particular the Chair of the Diet Delegation, Mr Kosuke Hori, elaborated on the on-going discussions in Japan about a possible revision of article 9 of the 1946 Constitution. The Diet and EP Delegations also discussed issues of common interest, such as the EU-Japan FTA and EPA and questions related to an ageing society and disaster prevention. Furthermore, the security situation, in the context of the third Nuclear Test carried out by North Korea and the territorial disputes with China were discussed.

In July, the EP Delegation for Relations with China met with their counterparts in the framework of Inter-parliamentary dialogue in Beijing, Nanning, Hong Kong and Macao. The Chinese Delegation was chaired by Mr Wang Xiaochu (Vice Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of NPC). This visit took place at a delicate moment with the on-going dispute between the EU and China over solar panels. This issue was raised extensively during working sessions of both delegations allowing each to explain and better understand their respective positions. Other topics covered were: the disparity in income among Chinese citizens in rural and urban areas (including migrant workers), and EU-China trade (which amounts to €1 billion per day). Reference was made to the draft paper, Agenda 2020 and the need to insist on provisions dealing with political plurality and the rule of law.

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Another key parliamentary event in 2013 was the visit of the Delegation for the Relations with the Korean Peninsula under the leadership of MEP Herbert Reul (DE) to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) from 14-20 July 2013. The main purpose of the visit was to analyse the situation in the DPRK, to visit an EU funded NGO project and to hold the 4th IPM EU-DPRK. It took place at a time when the tensions on the Korean Peninsula had considerably decreased. Before leaving for North Korea the delegation met, among others, the Chinese Chief negotiator in the Six Party Talks, Mr WU Dawei. In Pyongyang the delegation attended the 4th EU-DPRK Interparliamentary Meeting and met the Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Kung Song-Ung, the Vice-Minister for Trade, Mr O Ryong Chol, the Vice-Minister for Agriculture, Mr JONG Son, and the speaker of the Supreme People’s Assembly, Mr Choe Tae Bok. Back in Seoul, the Members met with 13 Members of the National Assembly and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yun. Regarding the ASEAN Delegation, one of the highlights was the visit to the Laos and Vietnam in October. During the visit the Delegation had the opportunity to examine the state of bilateral relations and the impact of EU-funded projects. During the visit to Hanoi/ Vietnam Chairman Werner Langen MEP (DE) underlined that this is an important moment in relations between the European Union and Vietnam, as a PCA has been signed recently and both sides have decided to launch negotiations on an ambitious FTA. These two instruments will be the pillars of the bilateral relationship in coming years. In highlighting trade and economic relations, Chairman Langen recalled that the EU is one of the first foreign direct investor, the biggest donor and one of the most important trading partners of Vietnam.

Herbert Reul (Chairman) MEP (EPP Group, Germany) with the speaker of the Supreme People’s Assembly during the Delegation for the Relations with the Korean Peninsula to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), July 2013

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Werner Langen MEP (Germany), Chairman of the Delegation for Relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and the ASEAN, third from left, and Burkhard Balz MEP (EPP Group, Germany), second from left, during the visit to Hanoi, October 2013

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Angelika Niebler MEP (EPP Group, Germany), Chairwoman, Antonio Cancian MEP (EPP Group, Italy), and Paul Rübig MEP (EPP Group, Austria), during the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula’s visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, April/May 2013

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Middle East/North Africa

Europe

Next to the Election Observation Mission to Jordan in January, an important meeting was the Mashrek Delegation’s visit to Lebanon, where it met with the then-Prime Minister Mikati and discussed the worrying and very complex situation in Syria. Another highlight was the visit of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula to Bahrain in April, where meetings took place with H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah, the Prime minister and several government ministers. Members underlined the importance of deepening political, economic and cultural cooperation between the EU and Bahrain and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); supported the plans for opening an EU Delegation in the United Arab Emirates in 2013; repeated the European Parliament’s call for the conclusion of the free trade agreement between the EU and the GCC; and stressed the importance of closer cooperation in fields such as renewable energy, transport and tourism.

Regarding the political situation in Bahrain, MEPs encouraged all political and societal actors to engage in the national reconciliation process and welcomed the start of the National Dialogue process.

One of the key events regarding Inter-parliamentary affairs in Europe was the 72nd meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee ( JPC), held in June in Brussels. During three working sessions bilateral relations, regional policy in Turkey and the Syrian crisis were discussed. Members welcomed the opening of Chapter 22 (Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments). Furthermore, it was stressed that the EU is worried about the violence that was used by the police against demonstrators and Members expressed their concern about the reactions of the Turkish authorities to critical statements from the international community, including the European Parliament.

Regarding relations with the EU’s important strategic partner Russia, a number of meetings and exchanges were organised in order to address current political and economic developments. Most prominent was the January PCC meeting which took place in Brussels. Members followed-up on the working groups meetings dedicated to the Russian parliamentary and presidential elections, migration policy, security and foreign policy and the role of the civil society in a modern state. The “pussy riot trial”, the visa regime, press freedom, the NGO law as well as the law on LGBT rights were also topics that were addressed.

The EPP Group strongly condemned the use of brutal force against peaceful demonstrations that began in Kiev on November 21, 2013, as a mass outcry against the decision of the Ukrainian government to cease talks concerning a historically significant agreement with the EU. The Group views Ukraine as a part of Europe and defends the solidarity and democracy that the Ukrainians are asking for. The EPP Group is committed to bringing Ukraine closer to achieving its European aspirations, in full compliance with the standards of a democratic, European state, respectful of democracy, law and human rights.

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Crescenzio Rivellini (Chairman) MEP (EPP Group, Italy), together with Wim van de Camp MEP (EPP Group, the Netherlands) and Gay Mitchell MEP (EPP Group, Ireland) with Chinese counterparts during the July Interparliamentary Meeting in Beijing of the Delegation for Relations with China

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7

> Press and Communications Service

7

Press and Communications Service Communicating on a day-to-day basis to ensure the largest possible press coverage of the EPP Group’s activities in the European Parliament A multi-disciplinary Press and Communications Service covers all the work of the EPP Group and provides information to journalists and other interested parties. To this end, the Press and Communications Service comprises a team of Press Officers whose job it is to assist journalists and provide them with information on the EPP Group’s and Parliament’s activities in the form of press releases, via interviews, debates, press conferences and through social media. Our Press Officers specialise in a particular area, and can communicate fluently in all of the EU’s 24 official languages so as to guarantee comprehensive coverage and to provide information to journalists based in Brussels or in the Member States.

There are over 1 000 journalists accredited to the EU institutions in Brussels; of these over 100 are accredited to the European Parliament with on average 100 using the Parliament Press Room during each plenary session in Strasbourg. The EPP Group’s Press and Communications Service works in narrow cooperation with this press corps to provide input on the EPP Group’s and the European Parliament’s debates and legislative work.

The Press and Communications Service not only provides information to journalists, but aims at reaching out directly to all its stakeholders, among which, first and foremost, are European citizens. To this end the Press and Communications Service

includes a number of specialised teams, such as the Internet and Social Media Team, the EPP TV and Meet Your MEP Unit and the Publications Team who are committed to delivering high-quality content on the role and activities of the EPP Group in the in the European Parliament to a wide audience.

In order for our Members to improve their mass media communication skills, the Press and Communications Service provides a specialised training programme which aims to enhance communication techniques across the spectrum - TV, radio and social media. Members can use media training services of their own choice and in their own Member State. Alternatively, Members can choose a media training company based in Brussels. It also includes vocal training which is beneficial to EPP Group Members engaging in public debate. Debating techniques during TV and radio shows also fall under this programme.

All these efforts have contributed to a considerable increase of the EPP Group’s presence in the media throughout 2013.

Delivering news to Europeans Our daily practice is not only to provide news but also to actively engage EU citizens and foster their interest and involvement in the EPP Group’s policy work.

We make sure that audiences can follow proceedings not only via traditional news channels such as newspapers, television and radio, but additionally through our new EPP Group website and through social media feeds.

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Staff: EPP Group Press and Communications Service

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Press releases are available in several languages whilst EPP TV videos are produced in English with voiceovers and subtitles in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Weekly EPP Group ‘Highlights’ offer useful insights into weekly Parliamentary activities. In Strasbourg and Brussels we hold regular press conferences to directly inform concerned parties of our legislative and policy work.

The European Parliament is of growing relevance to the everyday and professional lives of EU citizens. Due to Parliament’s enhanced role and powers under the Lisbon Treaty, the institution’s impact is becoming more visible and taking on greater significance. Events throughout 2013 testify to the European Parliament’s increasingly important role.

Over the past twelve months the EPP Group, as the largest political force in the European Parliament, has spearheaded legislative measures that have served to stabilise the financial and economic crisis that have dominated news headlines since 2008. Our Press and Communications Service was at the forefront in communicating how the EPP Group led the European Parliament’s response to the euro crisis and in building a robust supervisory architecture to prevent a similar crisis in the future.

Apart from addressing economic issues, several joint communication campaigns in relation to health and education were particularly successful during the course of 2013. Implementing policies that protect the health of EU citizens is a top priority for the EPP Group, while at the same time protecting the vitality of European enterprises. Our insistence on preventing young people from taking up smoking was a key concern in the passing of the Tobacco Products Directive in the October Plenary session in Strasbourg.

The EPP Group was also at the centre in driving forward European education policy and mobilised to guarantee sufficient funds for the threatened Erasmus programme. Similarly, EU money was set aside, upon the insistence of the EPP Group, to give young entrepreneurs a chance at acquiring experience abroad through the COSME programme.

The above examples represent just a flavour of how our coordinated Press and Communications Service successfully supports the political work of the EPP Group in the European Parliament.

What follows is an overview of the work carried out by the Press and Communications Service’s different units.

Internet and Social Media: Strengthening ties with the people we represent This year we truly focused on bringing people closer to us. Or rather bringing the EPP Group closer to people. In 2013, we launched a new website. The new site places increased importance on topical content. We have made it easier to find and subscribe to information on the particular themes of interest to not only those visitors active in the EU environment, but also to a wider audience. Behind the website sits a platform that allows for the knowledge and expertise of our staff to be made public, where much of it previously was shared internally.

As a result, we have encouraged our staff and MEP’s to be much more present in the digital arena, to facilitate direct exchange with other Europeans without the need for intermediaries.

We have brought the European more local by providing a space for delegations to publish their own content, so that it is easier to follow the activities of and communicate with the person you elected in your own constituency.

Our social media channels played a huge part in this and have been crucial to learning more about who our voters are.

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We have listened and tried to be the best source of knowledge about EU politics. Our MEPs are very active both on Twitter and Facebook. 80% of our MEPs use Facebook professionally and 168 out of 275 (60%) tweet.

Facebook: during our EPP Group meetings in different countries we aim to connect our local events with local people and parties. By connecting with people via Facebook and arranging the opportunity for one of our fans to join us in real life at the meeting, we involved 300 000 people in Portugal alone.

Twitter: MEP Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines (ES) launched the @EuropeIn initiative to connect with bloggers and make the conversation about European policies and institutions more interesting. Thirty bloggers came to the Parliament for two days in April 2013 to talk with MEPs and Parliament staff and brought their discussions online. These bloggers became the voice of Brussels. This exercise in transparency generated 19 million impressions on Twitter in a single day.

Edited news programmes explain and provide the very best coverage of European news and background information about the decisions taken by the European Parliament and the role of the EPP Group in the decision-making process, as well as the impact EU law has on citizens’ lives.

Follow the link to view a selection of our most topical videos from 2013: http://arc.eppgroup.eu/tv/default_en.asp

Information and Promotional Material

Instagram: we successfully launched our Instagram account in 2013. In summer we took the opportunity to showcase some of Europe’s finest cultural heritage using the hashtag #OurEurope. We received lively engagement from people contributing with their own images.

Responding to the ever increasing numbers coming to meet our MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg involves ensuring that all visitors receive leaflets, brochures and supplementary material to inform and help them understand the day-to-day activities of the EPP Group. The quality and origin of the material we distribute is of utmost important to us: as a principle, the EPP Group uses renewable material and European production for its promotional material. At present, over 85% of the items the Group distributes are sourced in Europe. Detailed certification that all material complies with employment and environmental directives is required from suppliers.

EPP TV

Meet your MEP Programme

The EPP Group Press and Communications Service was the first to establish its own European Parliament Web TV platform. EPP TV communicates the latest news from inside the European Parliament and reports on EPP Group success stories, events and activities. It allows European citizens to better appreciate the work of their MEPs through live coverage, short reports, documentaries, interviews and on-the-spot reactions. The Group has a WebTV team with its own studio and a full-time camera woman and technician. Web TV produces weekly news programmes and special editions and videos of Members.

In 2010, the EPP Group Press and Communications Service launched the Meet your MEP Programme, the new version of the previous Special Visitors Programme.

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Its purpose is to present EPP Group MEPs’ daily work and activities by inviting regional journalists and young people to Brussels and to Strasbourg. In addition, it has been an excellent way to give visitors in-depth knowledge on the policies of the EPP Group as well as on the events and happenings within the European Parliament.

In view of the upcoming European elections in May 2014, in 2013, the Programme has extended its categories of visitors, including people with disabilities and staffers of EPP Group sister parties in National Parliaments.

As media coverage is very positive about Meet your MEP visits, the number of EPP Group MEPs using the Programme has been increasing over the years: since its inception nearly 12 000 visitors have met more than 75% of MEPs belonging to the EPP Group.

European Parliament Open Days In honour of the annual Europe Day May celebrations the European Parliament opened its doors to the public on Saturday 4 May 2013 in Brussels and on Sunday 19 May in Strasbourg. The Open Days proved extremely popular as 20 000 and 25 000 visitors flocked to each city respectively.

The EPP Group treated visitors to exhibitions, information and interactive stands as well as informal debates with MEPs to present itself and its priorities.

In Strasbourg, in a discussion focusing on a citizens’ Europe as 2013 was the European Year of Citizens, European Parliament Vice-President and Austrian member of the EPP Group Othmar Karas stated in his opening speech: “In order to find European solutions it is important to listen to the citizens and to be in contact with them, for example via social media.” The EPP Group devote significant energy and enthusiasm to the Open Days as we regard the occasions as a unique opportunity to meet and personally engage with citizens.

EPP Group Publications

coordinate, manage and produce an extensive publishing programme. In 2013, publications, to name but some, included: a Customised Delegation Leaflet, available in 23 languages to inform Member State citizens of their EPP Group MEPs’ profile, contact presence, and their assigned roles in Parliamentary Committees and Delegations; a revised and detailed Annual Activity Report, outlining the successes and achievements of the EPP Group in the European Parliament; The Reunification of Europe, a collection of narratives documenting the former Central and Eastern Europe communist states’ accession to the European Union; and an accessible Leaflet with Map of Europe, detailing the structure, priorities and political orientation of the EPP Group. The Press and Communications Service additionally produced a number of publications covering the Group’s meetings outside the three working seats of the European Parliament, and delivered publications dealing with topics of interest to the Group.

To ensure our publications are easy to find, download and share a single access point to the publications is available on our website: http://www.eppgroup. eu/publications Group publications are furthermore catalogued, indexed and archived to service and record our activities. Our publications are of value not only to those involved in the Group and its work, but also to researchers, scholars, students, visitors, researchers and the media.

For user-friendliness the EPP Group produces electronic versions of its most relevant publications. Find a selection of EPP Group eBook publications to download for viewing on the Publications Page of the Group website: http://www.eppgroup.eu/publications or access our eBook display directly from the Issuu digital publishing platform: http://issuu.com/eppgroup

With the aim of bringing EPP Group policies and activities closer to European citizens and specific professional circles, the Publications Team

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8

> The European People’s Party (EPP)

8

The European People’s Party (EPP) About us

Structure

The European People’s Party (EPP) is the political family of the centre right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilisation of the European continent, and which has pioneered the European project from its inception. Tracing back its roots to Europe’s Founding Fathers – Robert Schuman, Alcide De Gasperi, and Konrad Adenauer – the EPP is committed to a strong Europe, based on a federal model that relies on the principle of subsidiarity.

The European People’s Party is horizontally engaged with all the main EU institutions including the European Council, Council of the EU, European Commission, and European Parliament. In addition to Parliament, the EPP has Groups in the Committee of the Regions, the Council of Europe, OSCE and NATO. Internally, the EPP has three levels of decision making: the Presidency, Political Assembly and Congress.

Founded in 1976, the EPP is a party of values, based on the Christian view of mankind and the Christian Democratic concept of society. The EPP strives for a democratic, transparent and efficient Europe that is close to its citizens.

Through the promotion of the social market economy, the EPP aspires to achieve a prosperous Europe. The EPP is the largest political party in Europe, currently with 74 member parties from 39 countries, 17 heads of state and government (12 EU and 5 non-EU), 13 European Commissioners, and the largest group in the European Parliament with 275 members.

The EPP is governed under the 2003 “EU Regulation on political parties at European level and the rules regarding their funding.” In late 2007, this Regulation was revised to allow all European-level political parties to campaign for the European Parliament elections. Hence, for the 2014 European elections, the EPP will conduct in close cooperation with its national member parties its first Europe-wide campaign, which will be spearheaded by its candidate for the post of President of the European Commission.

Presidency The EPP is led by the Presidency, an executive body. It decides on the general political guidelines of the Party and presides over the Political Assembly. The Presidency is composed of: (i) the President of the EPP; (ii) the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council, the High Representative on Foreign and Security Policy, the President of the European Parliament (if these persons are affiliated with the EPP); (iii the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament; (iv) the Honorary President(s); (v) ten Vice-Presidents (vi) the Treasurer (vii) the Secretary-General

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The composition of the EPP Presidency as of 1 December 2013 is as follows President Joseph Daul France (UMP)

Secretary-General Antonio López-Istúriz Spain (PP)

Ex Officio Vice-Presidents José Manuel Durão Barroso Portugal (PSD) Herman Van Rompuy Belgium (CD&V)

Vice-Presidents

Peter Hintze Germany (CDU) Antonio Tajani Italy (PdL) Johannes Hahn Austria (ÖVP) Corien Wortmann-Kool Netherlands (CDA) Mário David Portugal (PSD) Jacek Saryusz-Wolski Poland (PO) Tobias Billström Sweden (Moderaterna) Anca Boagiu Romania (PDL)

Lucinda Creighton Ireland (Fine Gael) Michel Barnier France (UMP)

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Treasurer Ingo Friedrich Germany (CSU)

Honorary President Sauli Niinistö Finland (Kokoomus)

Political Assembly The Political Assembly defines the political positions of the party between each Congress, deciding on membership applications and final political guidelines.

The Political Assembly also decides on the budget and safeguards the political presence of the EPP between Congress meetings. The Political Assembly is composed of designated delegates from EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and groups. The Political Assembly meets three to five times a year and defines the mandate of the Working Groups which prepare the Party’s policy documents and recommendations.

Congress The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the Party. It is composed of delegates from EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and groups. The EPP Congress meets at least once every three years. It elects the EPP Presidency and decides on the main policy documents and electoral programmes, and provides a platform for the EPP Heads of Government and Party Leaders.

The EPP has organised a total of 21 Congress meetings ›› 2012 Congress XXI in Bucharest ›› 2011 Congress XX in Marseille ›› 2009 Congress XIX in Bonn ›› 2009 Congress XVIII in Warsaw ›› 2006 Congress XVII in Rome ›› 2004 Congress XVI in Brussels ›› 2002 Congress XV in Estoril ›› 2001 Congress XIV in Berlin ›› 1999 Congress XIII in Brussels ›› 1997 Congress XII in Toulouse ›› 1995 Congress XI in Madrid ›› 1993 Congress X in Brussels ›› 1992 Congress IX in Athens ›› 1990 Congress VIII in Dublin ›› 1988 Congress VII in Luxembourg ›› 1986 Congress VI in The Hague ›› 1984 Congress V in Rome ›› 1982 Congress IV in Paris ›› 1980 Congress III in Cologne ›› 1979 Congress II in Brussels ›› 1978 Congress I in Brussels

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EU Heads of State and Government of the EPP President Traian Băsescu Romania (EPP)

Prime Ministers

Jyrki Katainen Finland (Kokoomus)

Taoiseach Enda Kenny Ireland (Fine Gael)

Chancellor Angela Merkel Germany (CDU)

Prime Ministers

Nicos Anastasiades Cyprus (DISY)

Viktor Orbán Hungary (FIDESZ)

Valdis Dombrovskis Latvia (Vienotība)

Pedro Passos Coelho Portugal (PSD)

Mariano Rajoy Spain (PP) Fredrik Reinfeldt Sweden (Moderaterna) Antonis Samaras Greece (Nea Demokratia) Donald Tusk Poland (PO)

Non-EU Heads of State and Government of the EPP Prime Ministers

President

Prime Minister

Nikola Gruevski FYROM (VMRO-DPMNE)

Serzh Sargsyan Armenia (HHK)

Erna Solberg Norway (Høyre)

Iurie Leancă Moldova (PLDM)

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Member of the Presidency Bakir Izetbegović Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDA)

EPP Members of the European Commission President

Members

José Manuel Durão Barroso President of the European Commission Portugal (PSD)

Andris Piebalgs Development Latvia (EPP)

Vice-Presidents

Michel Barnier Internal Market and Services France (UMP)

Viviane Reding Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Luxembourg (CSV) Antonio Tajani Industry and Entrepreneurship Italy (PdL)

Gunther Oettinger Energy Germany (CDU) Johannes Hahn Regional Policy Austria (ÖVP) Connie Hedegaard Climate Action Denmark (C)

Algirdas Šemeta Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Lithuania (TS-LKD)

Dacian Cioloş Agriculture and Rural Development Romania (EPP)

Janusz Lewandowski Budget and Financial Programming Poland (PO)

Tonio Borg Health Malta (PN)

Kristalina Georgieva International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Bulgaria (EPP)

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Activities

Campaign Management

Summits

This committee coordinates with member parties to plan campaigns. The exchange of experiences in past election campaigns, as well as the long-term preparation of European issues and the campaign for the European Parliament elections, brings added value to the member parties and to the EPP.

EPP heads of state and government, party leaders in coalition governments and/or in opposition, the EPP Presidency and the Presidents of the European Council and European Commission meet for EPP Summits prior to the European Council Summits. These important sessions offer EPP leaders an informal and confidential setting to seek consensus within the EPP family in an effort to develop common positions at the European Council.

Ministerial Meetings In 2007, the EPP inaugurated a new political process with the first EPP Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in order to discuss the foreign policy priorities on the EU Ministers’ agenda. Following this successful model, the EPP then launched informal meetings with the EPP EcoFin Ministers in 2008, and again expanded the concept in 2010. The current list of meetings includes: Foreign Affairs, Economic and Financial Affairs, Employment & Social Affairs, Competitiveness, Defence, Agriculture, Environment, Energy, Justice, Home Affairs, and General Affairs.

Working Groups Working Groups are the backbone of EPP’s political work, where high-profile representatives from the EPP member parties develop common positions and strategies on major policy areas and submit specific recommendations to the Political Assembly for final approval.

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Economic and Social Policy This working group is focused on responding to the current economic and financial crisis, demographic issues, and research and development.

EPP Membership This Working Group promotes and facilitates the accession of new EPP full members, associate and observer members. When a party from an EU country is accepted in the EPP, its elected representatives automatically join the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and all other EPP Groups and organisations.

European Policy The European Policy Working Group has the task of preparing the EPP’s most vital policy papers and Congress documents on European issues.

Associations Youth of the European People‘s Party (YEPP) YEPP, led by President Konstantinos Kyranakis, is the EPP’s official youth organisation. YEPP’s members are national party-political youth organisations.

The purpose of all 57 member organisations as well as for YEPP is to provide young people a channel in order to influence the shaping of their societies with democratic means and centre-right, Christian Democratic and conservative ideas. YEPP brings together between 1 and 2 million young people in 39 countries of Europe, making it the largest party-political youth organisation in Europe.

European Democrat Students (EDS) EDS is the official students’ organisation of the EPP. Since it was founded in 1961, EDS brings together students and young political leaders from all over Europe to promote a political pro-European exchange. Led by Chairwoman Eva Majewski, EDS has 42 member organisations from 35 countries, representing over 1 600 000 students and youngsters.

European Senior Citizen’s Union (ESCU) Founded in Madrid in 1995 and led by its President An Hermans, ESCU is the largest political senior citizens’ organisation in Europe. The ESCU is represented in 27 states with 41 organisations and about 1 269 000 members.

The ESCU is dedicated to the advancement of rights of European senior citizens and their engagement in society.

European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW) The EUCDW is the workers’ organisation of the EPP with 22 member organisations from 17 different countries. Led by Elmar Brok MEP, the EUCDW presses for the political unification of a democratic Europe; promotes the development of the EPP on the basis of Christian social teaching; represents and defends worker interests in European policy; and works for the achievement of Christian social principles and policies in the European workers’ movements.

Small and Medium Entrepreneurs of Europe (SME Europe) SME Europe, led by Nadezhda Neynsky MEP, is the EPP organisation for small and medium entrepreneurs, shaping EU policies in a SME-friendly way. As a proactive organisation within the political networks of Christian Democrats and conservatives, SME Europe brings a new spirit and a fresh entrepreneurial wind into the political debate.

Women of the European People’s Party (EPP Women) EPP Women, led by Doris Pack MEP, is recognised by the EPP as the official association of women from all like-minded political parties of Europe. EPP Women has over 40 member organisations from countries of the European Union and beyond.

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Think-Tanks, Foundations

The legacy of Wilfried Martens

Centre for European Studies (CES)

On 9 October 2013 the President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Wilfried Martens, passed away at the age of 77. A founding father of the EPP, and the European Union – and Prime Minister of Belgium between 1979 and 1992 and Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament from 1994 to 1999 –, Wilfried Martens worked tirelessly to build the strong and united political family that we are today, and made a lasting mark on Europe and beyond. A champion of integration and one of the foremost voices of European integration, his determined contributions in building an EU-level political system and demos represent a tremendous legacy for the European project.

The EPP will always be indebted to him for his leadership and the role he played in making the Europe of today. On 12 November 2013 Joseph Daul, who is also the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, was elected the new President of the EPP.

Founded in 2007, the Centre for European Studies (CES) is the official think tank of the EPP. The CES, led by President Mikuláš Dzurinda, serves as a common European framework for national foundations and think tanks recognised by EPP member-parties. CES is governed under the revised 2007 “EU Regulation on political parties at European level and rules regarding their funding.”

The core activities of the CES are its research and study projects, which are complemented and supported by conferences, seminars, workshops and publications, many of which are executed in conjunction with its member organisations. The aim of the foundation is to contribute both to the public awareness of European citizens on the development of European integration and to help decision-makers, such as EPP head of states and government and EPP party leaders, to formulate new and effective policy options.

Robert Schuman Institute The “Union of the Robert Schuman Institute for Developing Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe” (RSI) has been operating under the auspices of the EPP with an extended scope of activities since 1995. The RSI organises international courses for potential young leaders, party members and officials of the EPP sister and co-operating parties of the developing democracies in the region, which receive both theoretical and practical training. Since the 2004 EU enlargement, the Institute has focused mostly on eastern and south-eastern European countries.

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EPP General Secretariat Antonio López-Istúriz Secretary-General, MEP

Siegfried Muresan Political Adviser

Pavlina Heymans-Špačková Assistant

Christian Kremer Deputy Secretary-General

Eva Palacková Political Adviser

Julia Zalutskaja Assistant

Luc Vandeputte Deputy Secretary-General

Beatriz de Anta de Benito Political Adviser

Charlotte Frizberg Assistant Event Management

Kostas Sasmatzoglou Spokesman

Karine Milheiro Press and Communication Officer

Yelba Torres Working Groups, Ministerial Meetings

Brenda Furniere Head of President’s Office

Solenn Geidel Assistant to Secretary-General Antonio López-Istúriz

Sophie Paeme Reception and general administration

Giuseppina Curreli Head of Secretary-General’s Office Nicolas Briec Senior Adviser for External Relations

Óscar Sánchez Benítez Social Media Manager

Claudia Cajvan Assistant to Deputy Secretary-General Christian Kremer

John Lageson Publications Manager

Javier Jiménez Director of Press and Communications

Daphné Lamal Assistant to Deputy Secretary-General Luc Vandeputte

Guy Volckaert Manager of Informatics & Internet

Galina Fomenchenko Political Adviser

Margarita Kaimaklioti Assistant to Spokesman Kostas Sasmatzoglou

Gonçalo Raposo Carriço Systems Administrator

Juan Magaz Political Adviser

Enda McNamara Assistant to the President’s Office

Tadeusz Chadzynski Officer

143 / A NNUA L AC T I VIT Y R E P ORT O F T H E E P P G RO U P / 2013

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144 / A NNUA L AC T I VIT Y R E P ORT O F T H E E P P G RO U P / 2013

EPP Group in the European Parliament

Published by:

EPP Group in the European Parliament Press and Communications Service Publications Team

Editor:

Pedro L贸pez de Pablo

Responsible:

Greet Gysen

Coordinator:

Mark Dunne

Address:

European Parliament 60 Rue Wiertz B-1047 - Brussels

Internet:

http://www.eppgroup.eu

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epp-publications@ep.europa.eu

Copyright:

EPP Group in the European Parliament