EPP Annual Review 2012

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

The answer is more Europe!

FOCUS! EPP CONGRESS BUCHAREST ROMANIA

www.epp.eu

2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

EPP SUMMITS BRUSSELS BUCHAREST


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Who we are

Welcome to the European People’s Party (EPP), the political family of the centre right. The EPP is committed to a strong Europe based on a federal model that relies on the principle of subsidiarity. Through the promotion of the social market economy, the EPP aspires to achieve a prosperous Europe.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Contents

02 WELCOME to the EPP

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20 FOCUS!

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EuroNest / Council of Europe / OSCE / NATO

Decision-Making Bodies

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EPP Congress 2012 Bucharest

European Council - EPP Summit

Headquarters / Internship Programme

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Member Associations

Centre for European Studies

40 2014

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European elections

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Summit Highlights

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Heads of State and Government

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Ministerial Meetings

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European Commission

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European Parliament

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Committee of the Regions

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Political Assembly Highlights

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Working Groups

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Foreign Affairs

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Communication

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Structure and Resources

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Who is Who

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EPP Annual Review 2012

This publication is produced by the EPP press and communication department. Date of issue March 2013 Editor in Chief Kostas SASMATZOGLOU

Member Parties

Assistant Editor Óscar SÁNCHEZ BENÍTEZ

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EPP in Europe

Printing Company Dereume Photos European People’s Party European Commission European Parliament Download this publication www.epp.eu Questions about this publication press@epp.eu

Printed with the financial support of the European Parliament.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Welcome to the EPP

“THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE CONGRESS IN BUCHAREST WAS THE APPROVAL OF OUR NEW ‘PARTY PLATFORM’, WHICH EXPLAINS IN GREAT DETAIL THE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF OUR POLITICAL FAMILY.”

ANTONIO LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ EPP SECRETARY GENERAL

WILFRIED MARTENS EPP PRESIDENT


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 WELCOME TO THE EPP

Welcome to the European People’s Party (EPP), the political family of the centre right. The EPP’s roots run deep in the history and civilisation of Europe, having pioneered the European project from its inception. Tracing our roots to the European Union’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. 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 by far the largest Europarty with 73 member parties from 40 countries, 13 EU and 7 non-EU Heads of State and Government, 13 European Commissioners, the largest Group in the European Parliament with 270 members, and heads two of the main EU institutions: the European Commission with José Manuel BARROSO and the European Council with Herman VAN ROMPUY. 2012 was a very exciting year. In February, EPP Honorary President Sauli NIINISTÖ was elected President of Finland and in June, Nea Demokratia leader Antonis SAMARAS won the elections in Greece and became EPP’s newest member in the European Council. In October 2012, the EPP organised a very successful Congress in Bucharest, Romania, titled “The answer is more Europe!”, which took place in the presence of the President of Romania, Traian BĂSESCU. Almost all of the EPP’s prime ministers and party leaders joined us in Bucharest, as well as hundreds of delegates, journalists, and international visitors.

The highlight of the Congress was the approval of our new “Party Platform” – which replaces the Basic Programme of Athens from 1992 - and explains in great detail the values and principles of our political family. The Congress also saw the approval of our new Manifesto, which draws inspiration from the Party Platform, as well as a number of important resolutions. The EPP Congress also re-elected the President, the Secretary General, and the Treasurer, and elected its ten Vice Presidents. 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 in order to allow all European level political parties to campaign for the European elections. Following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009, which calls for the European Council to take into account the results of the European elections when nominating the President of the European Commission, the EPP will take again the lead by nominating its presidential candidate and campaigning with him/her across Europe. To this end, the EPP Congress in Bucharest approved a special resolution on the 2014 European elections, which underlines our intention to put forward a presidential candidate who will spearhead the EPP campaign and compete against the presidential candidates of the other European political parties.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

European Council - EPP Summit

“WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTIES, TO RESTORE GROWTH AND JOBS. THERE IS OF COURSE SHEER NECESSITY. BUT THERE IS MORE THAT GUIDES US: THE WILL TO REMAIN MASTERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY, A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS, AND IN A WAY SPEAKING TO US FROM THE CENTURIES, THE IDEA OF EUROPA ITSELF” HERMAN VAN ROMPUY PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 EUROPEAN COUNCIL - EPP SUMMIT

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The main focus of the EPP leaders during these meetings was the tackling of the financial and economic crisis.

“Without EPP meetings it’s hard to imagine how ever we could find a solution for the different issues, because EPP is a family, we share the same values.” JYRKI KATAINEN FINNISH PRIME MINISTER

Prior to European Council meetings, EPP Heads of State and Government, party leaders in coalition governments and in opposition, the EPP Presidency, and the EPP presidents of the European institutions meet for the customary EPP Summit. The Statutory Summits are limited to the representatives of the member countries of the European Union while the Enlarged Summits are also open to the leaders of non-EU countries. These important meetings offer EPP leaders an informal and confidential setting to air their differences and seek consensus within the EPP political family in an effort to tackle common problems and develop common positions at the European Council. While the EPP was at the helm of the European Union in 2012, five Summit meetings were held with Herman VAN ROMPUY, as President of the European Council, José Manuel BARROSO, as President of the European Commission and all of our EU Heads of State and Government.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Summit Highlights

01 ENLARGED SUMMIT BRUSSELS 1 MARCH 2012

03 ENLARGED SUMMIT BRUSSELS 28 JUNE 2012

In preparation for the European Council meeting, the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission outlined their respective agendas and reiterated their optimism for the success of the fiscal compact and moving forward with a resolution to the crisis. The leaders discussed the worsening situation in Belarus and Ukraine, including the situation of Yulia TYMOSHENKO. They also discussed ACTA, as well as the planned renewal of the EPP platform at the upcoming Congress in Bucharest. The leaders congratulated Prime Minister Janez JANŠA on the formation of his new Slovenian government, Croatian Democratic Union Chairwoman Jadranka KOSOR on the result of the Croatian referendum on EU membership, and EPP Honorary Chairman Sauli NIINISTÖ on his election as President of Finland.

The EPP leaders engaged in a thorough discussion on the report on the Economic and Monetary Union and of the economic and financial positions of the various Member States. The need to prepare decisions based on the EPP principles of “solidarity” and “responsibility”– decisions which are ambitious and can be developed throughout the short, medium and long terms – was at the top of the agenda. EPP President Wilfried MARTENS also offered his congratulations on behalf of all EPP leaders to Nea Demokratia President Antonis SAMARAS (Greece) and President Serzh SARGSYAN (Armenia) on the results of their parliamentary elections. The political situations in Ukraine and Armenia, as well as in Syria, were also discussed.

02 STATUTORY SUMMIT BRUSSELS 23 MAY 2012 Convinced of the need for a balanced approach in order to overcome the economic situation in Europe and restore confidence in the economy, the EPP leaders unanimously adopted a common declaration, presented by Swedish Finance Minister Anders BORG, outlining their commitment to fiscal consolidation and growth, which have always been priorities of the EPP. In addition, Nea Demokratia President Antonis SAMARAS (Greece) briefed the EPP leaders on the situation in Greece and the prospects for the next elections.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS

05 ENLARGED SUMMIT BRUSSELS 13 DECEMBER 2012 This EPP Summit was the first meeting involving the new EPP Presidency elected at the Bucharest Congress. The EPP leaders hailed the agreement reached by the Ecofin Council on the banking supervision and discussed the topics on the agenda of the European Council. A comprehensive declaration on “Completing and Stabilizing the Economic and Monetary Union” underpinned by four guiding principles of the EPP – maintaining the unity of the EU, linking solidarity and governance, promoting competitiveness, growth and jobs, and respecting of the Community method – was adopted. The Summit also welcomed Italian Prime Minister Mario MONTI and a frank and in depth discussion took place on the political situation in Italy ahead of the national elections in February. Furthermore, the recent developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Georgia, as well as the political situation in other non-EU Member States, were extensively debated.

04 ENLARGED SUMMIT BUCHAREST 17 OCTOBER 2012 The EPP Summit which took place during the Bucharest Congress saw the EPP leaders welcome President Isa MUSTAFA of the newest EPP member party, LDK (Kosovo). The EPP leaders also prepared for the upcoming European Council meeting. An emphasis on building confidence and trust was strongly expressed by leaders of the Member States and at the European level. The EPP leaders extensively discussed the new party platform and the EPP Manifesto as well as a resolution on the nomination of an EPP candidate for President of the European Commission, which was adopted at the Congress. During the Summit, a declaration on the EPP’s commitment to strengthening the Single Market was also adopted.

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Heads of State and Government As of March 2013, the EPP has 13 out of 27 EU Heads of State and Government, which meet at the EPP Summit meetings, in preparation of the European Council meetings.

EU LEADERS

Nicos ANASTASIADES Cyprus, DISY

Traian BĂSESCU Romania

Valdis DOMBROVSKIS Latvia, Vienotība

Jean-Claude JUNCKER Luxembourg, CSV

Enda KENNY Ireland, FG

Angela MERKEL Germany, CDU

Viktor ORBÁN Hungary, FIDESZ

Pedro PASSOS COELHO Portugal, PSD

Fredrik REINFELDT Sweden, MOD

Antonis SAMARAS Greece, ND

Donald TUSK Poland, PO


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT

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The EPP has 7 NON-EU Heads of State and Government, which are invited to attend the enlarged EPP Summit meetings.

NON-EU LEADERS

Jyrki KATAINEN Finland, KOK

Sali BERISHA Albania, DP

Mariano RAJOY Spain, PP

Nikola GRUEVSKI Bakir IZETBEGOVIĆ Mikheil SAAKASHVILI F.Y.R.O.M., VMRO-DPMNE Bosnia-Herzegovina, SDA Georgia, UNM

Serzh SARGSYAN Armenia, HHK

Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN Vlad FILAT Turkey, AKP Moldova, PLDM


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

The EPP held throughout 2012 a total of five summits, including one on the sidelines of the Bucharest Congress. They were attended by EPP Heads of State and Government, Deputy PMs and leaders of the opposition.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

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Ministerial Meetings

01 FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS Chaired by Paulo PORTAS (CDS-PP, Portugal) and Elmar BROK (CDU, Germany)

EPP Foreign Ministers convene on a regular basis to prepare the Foreign Affairs Council and to discuss issues such as the Middle East Peace Process, the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, Mediterranean Union, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and relations with strategic partners. The EPP Foreign Ministers have regularly adopted EPP position papers. For instance, they drafted a resolution on religious attacks in Nigeria on 22 January 2012 which was adopted at the Political Assembly on 10 February 2012. During the meeting of 14 May 2012, the EPP Foreign Ministers released a statement on Ukraine, condemning the violation of the rule of law and breaches of democratic standards; calling for the release of political prisoners, amongst them Yulia TYMOSHENKO and Yuriy LUTSENKO; and defining the conditions the Ukrainian regime must fulfil in order to have the Association Agreement signed.

02 DEFENCE MINISTERS Chaired by Pieter DE CREM (CD&V, Belgium)

The EPP Defence Ministers’ Meeting, chaired by Belgian Defence Minister Pieter DE CREM, continued its work successfully in 2012. On 17 April, EPP Defence Ministers exchanged views with the President of the European Council, Herman VAN ROMPUY, on the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in order to prepare for the NATO Summit in Chicago in May 2012. The CSDP operations and the pooling and sharing of military capabilities were discussed in Cyprus on the 26 September 2012.

03 GENERAL AFFAIRS MINISTERS Chaired by Lucinda CREIGHTON (FG, Ireland) and Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO, Poland)

The EPP General Affairs Ministerial Meeting was established in February 2012 and gathers Foreign and European Affairs Ministers in preparation for the General Affairs Council meetings. Given that the preparation of the European Council is one of the main responsibilities of this Council configuration, the EPP General Affairs meeting is also an opportunity to prepare the EPP Summits held prior to the European Council. Over the course of the year, Ministers have discussed and coordinated positions on important initiatives of the European Council, including the Fiscal Compact and the report “Towards a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union”. A special emphasis was placed on the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework, for which the EPP seeked to find common ground between EPP representatives in all EU institutions involved in the process (Council, Commission and European Parliament) in order to reach a final agreement on the EU budget for the period 2014-2020. For these discussions, the European Commissioner for Budget and Financial Programming Janusz LEWANDOWSKI, as well as EPP Members of the European Parliament responsible for this topic, were invited.

04 ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS Chaired by Phil HOGAN (FG, Ireland)

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Herman VAN ROMPUY and Pieter DE CREM during an EPP Defence Ministerial Meeting.

In 2012 the focus was on the COP18 Climate Change Conference which took place in Doha, Qatar in November, as well as the terms of the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. Ministers also reviewed the outcome of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June and the EU’s role in formulating the sustainable development goals. Another important issue discussed was the future of the EU Emission Trading Scheme which in 2013 enters into its third phase.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 MINISTERIAL MEETINGS

The European People’s Party organises and coordinates from its Brussels headquarters a total of 12 Ministerial meetings, which underpin the horizontal activity of the Party with all the main EU institutions including the Council of Ministers.

05 ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINISTERS (ECOFIN) Chaired by Luc FRIEDEN (CSV, Luxembourg) and Anders BORG (MOD, Sweden)

The meetings of the EPP Economy and Finance Ministers have continued to provide an opportunity for highly relevant discussions between Ministers from our political family regarding the far-reaching decisions made in the ECOFIN Council and the Eurogroup. Consequently, these discussions have contributed to the debate on how to overcome the economic and financial crisis in Europe. Over the course of the year, these discussions have laid the groundwork for the political agreement on the Single Supervisory Mechanism and have shed light on the next steps towards reaching a banking union. EPP Ministers have also found common ground on the introduction of the financial transaction tax by some Member States. These projects were developed in close cooperation with Michel BARNIER, Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, and Algirdas ŠEMETA, Commissioner for Taxation, who take part in the EPP ECOFIN meetings. EPP Ministers have also contributed to the agreement and implementation of the Fiscal Compact, as well as the implementation of the European Stability Mechanism. The meeting has also given Ministers from the Eurozone the opportunity to exchange views with their colleagues from outside the Eurozone on the implications of the Euro debt crisis on all 27 EU Member States.

06 COMPETITIVENESS (INDUSTRY AND SINGLE MARKET) Chaired by Antonio TAJANI (PdL, Italy)

The strategic objective of the meeting of EPP Industry Ministers, which takes place prior to the Competitiveness Council, is to lay the groundwork for improving competitiveness in Europe through structural reforms, the development of the Single Market, stimulating entrepreneurship and creating a future-oriented industrial policy. Therefore, the implementation of the “Compact for Growth and Jobs”, adopted by the European Council in June of 2012, has been a priority for EPP Ministers. Over the course of the year, Ministers have attached particular importance to strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises and their access to financing.

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ECOFIN Ministerial Meeting with Nicos ANASTASIADES in Cyprus.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 MINISTERIAL MEETINGS

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Participants of the Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting.

07 EMPLOYMENT MINISTERS

09 JUSTICE MINISTERS

11 ENERGY MINISTERS

Chaired by Ursula VON DER LEYEN (CDU, Germany)

Chaired by Viviane REDING (CSV, Luxembourg) and Beatrice ASK (MOD, Sweden)

Chaired by Günter OETTINGER (CDU, Germany) and Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO, Poland)

For the EPP Congress in Bucharest, the Ministers drafted a resolution titled “Justice for Growth” in which they state that economic growth, institutional efficiency and the rule of law are directly correlated. They also presented measures which can lead to even better cooperation and coordination in the field of justice. Other major topics which were discussed throughout the year included data protection and the European Sales Law.

The meetings of the EPP Energy Ministers focused on topics including the internal energy market and the security of energy supply and international cooperation. Commissioner for Energy Günter OETTINGER initiated debate with the Ministers on how to make the internal energy market work more efficiently, how to create a level playing field and attract investment. Ministers also discussed how to consolidate the EPP position and advance EU interests in the field of energy beyond EU borders. In particular, there was some concern about energy security in Moldova, energy security of the Eastern neighbourhood and the role of Russia.

The top priority of EPP Employment Ministers is improving the situation of the labour markets in all Member States of the European Union. Ministers attach particular importance to combatting youth unemployment and improving opportunities for young people, especially through exchanging best practices for cooperation between the public and private sectors, and on improving national education systems. In this context, EPP Ministers proposed closer cooperation between the national public employment services to build upon the expertise of those authorities which best know the situations found in European labour markets. In their meetings, EPP Ministers also place particular importance on the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy in the field of employment and social policy.

08 HOME AFFAIRS MINISTERS Chaired by Hans-Peter FRIEDRICH (CSU, Germany) and Manfred WEBER (CSU, Germany)

This Ministerial grouping was particularly active in 2012. During their meetings, common positions were sought among the Ministers, as well as with members of the European Parliament, on topics on the agenda of the Council. Moreover, the Ministers drafted in close cooperation with the EPP leadership a resolution titled “Security for EU Citizens” that was tabled at the EPP Congress in Bucharest in October. This resolution addresses important issues such as organised crime, corruption, terrorism, the security of EU borders, police cooperation and cyber security, and presents the EPP’s positions on these matters.

10 AGRICULTURE MINISTERS Chaired by Nikolaus BERLAKOVICH (ÖVP, Austria) and Simon COVENEY (FG, Ireland)

The main topics addressed during the course of the year were the Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations and the agriculture budget, which was a challenge to maintain at current levels. In addition, the CAP reform negotiations were an important issue of discussion, including the coordination of agriculture policy within the EPP political family. The EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian CIOLOŞ, also took active part in the discussions and contributed to the work of the EPP Agriculture Ministers.

12 TRANSPORT MINISTERS Chaired by Anca BOAGIU (PDL, Romania)

The EPP Transport Ministers meeting, chaired by EPP Vice President Anca BOAGIU, involved discussions on the current state of play in Europe’s transport sector. Proposals for the development of the trans-European transport network featured prominently in the discussions.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

European Commission

JOSÉ MANUEL BARROSO President of the European Commission - Portugal

“What I demand is a decisive deal for Europe. A decisive deal to project our values, our freedom and our prosperity into the future of a globalised world. A deal that combines the need to keep our social market economies on one hand and the need to reform them on the other. A deal that will stabilise the Economic and Monetary Union, boost sustainable growth, and restore competitiveness. A deal that will establish a contract of confidence between our countries, between Member States and the European institutions, between social partners, and between the citizens and the European Union”.

VIVIANNE REDING

ANTONIO TAJANI

MICHEL BARNIER

Vice President; Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship - Luxembourg

Vice President; Industry and Entrepreneurship - Italy

Internal Market and Services - France

“Our aim is to push for more investment and to remove uncertainties surrounding investments. We must invest in the early stages of adopting new technologies. Only then, will we take the technological lead and get a return on our investment. A return in terms of jobs and growth”.

“Member States have agreed to hand over the key supervisory tasks over their banks to the European Central Bank. This is the first step towards the Banking Union. This Single Supervisory Mechanism will be a great asset for financial stability in Europe”.

“Planning for a post-crisis Europe gives us the opportunity to develop our Union into a strong political union. To this end we need to be more united than ever and to have the citizens fully on board. We need to have the determination to roll up our sleeves and act”.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 EUROPEAN COMMISSION

TONIO BORG

DACIAN CIOLOȘ

KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA

Health and Consumer Policy - Malta

Agriculture & Rural Development - Romania

International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response - Bulgaria

“Policy makers must ensure structural support for research and innovation. If we want better outcomes of our healthcare systems, and if we want to ensure their sustainability, we need to encourage innovation of products, services and processes”.

“I have wanted to make “Young Farmers” central to the post-2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. And it is a subject to which I gave much attention. We must not stop half-way. It is a subject we must continue to deal with until the final adoption of the reform”.

JOHANNES HAHN

CONNIE HEDEGAARD

JANUSZ LEWANDOWSKI

Regional Policy - Austria

Climate Action - Denmark

Financial Programming and Budget - Poland

“To achieve the goals of Europe 2020 we need to nurture our small and medium sized enterprises, and foster innovation. Cities have a special potential for both. I believe firmly in the need for cities to take their place as European actors, partners in tackling European objectives”.

“The EU supports the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities. But it must never be an excuse for inaction. The climate change challenge can only be met if all contribute to the best of their abilities. Let us work together in bringing more big economies on board”.

“I am pleased that the European Union, its citizens, regions, businesses and scientists now have a budget for 2013. Even in times of austerity, if not especially in times of austerity, the EU budget is a tool for investment and hope for European citizens”.

GÜNTER OETTINGER

ANDRIS PIEBALGS

ALGIRDAS ŠEMETA

Energy - Germany

Development - Latvia

Taxation and Customs Unions, Audit and Anti-Fraud - Lithunia

“We are well on track to reach our target of a 20% share of renewable energy in final EU energy consumption by 2020. The European Union and its Member States have decided to put in place a reliable and stable regulatory framework setting strong mandatory targets for 2020 to secure investors’ trust”.

“The vision behind the European project was never an inward-looking one. It was about sharing European values and the all-important solidarity. Sharing them with the people of countries like my own and with the people living of countries in the developing world struggling to escape poverty and embrace development”.

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“We all know that no country is rich enough to keep on the payroll as many first responders as the most dramatic disaster may call for. This is why there is already a lot of experience in volunteering. I learned that if Europeans volunteers would form a country, they would be the largest Member State with 100 million people”.

‘‘I have presented the way forward for a stronger EU approach to tax evasion. Now it is up to the Member States to play their part. They must commit to deeper coordination, support the new tools proposed and unite in pushing our standards globally. The rewards on offer are great: billions of euros in revenue, and fair and competitive tax systems for recovery and growth”.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

European Parliament With 270 active and dedicated members, as well as three Croatian observers, the Group of the European People’s Party represents the largest political grouping, and therefore the most influential political force, in the European Parliament.

2012 was marked by intensive work in the area of financial services regulatory reform in order to remedy the fault lines in the architecture of the Eurozone that were exposed by the financial crisis. The EPP Group, chaired by Joseph DAUL, MEP (UMP-FR), advocates legislation that deepens and reinforces the Economic and Monetary Union. Strengthening the Economic and Monetary Union urgently requires the implementation of a banking union in order to break the vicious cycle between sovereign debt and bank debt, and thus ensure financial stability. The EPP Group also supported further economic integration through the continued development of the Single Market, which in 2012 marked its 20th anniversary. In the field of legal and home affairs, the EPP Group achieved a breakthrough in the reform of the Brussels Regulation, which abolishes time-consuming and costly procedures for the recognition and enforcement of judgments in another Member State. In 2012 the EPP Group in the European Parliament also intensified its international presence and contacts with political actors all over the globe, inter alia, through the work of inter-parliamentary delegations. Since the onset of the Arab Spring, the Group has actively supported the political aspirations of people in the region. The EPP Group has also continued to forge closer ties with parliamentarians in the Mediterranean countries of the European Neighbourhood Policy and within the Union for the Mediterranean. In 2012, meetings of the EPP Group Bureau also took place outside of the official three seats of the European Parliament. EPP Group Study Days - designed to engage political themes important at the national level, thus feeding into the EPP Group’s work in the European Parliament - were convened in Turku, Finland and Bucharest, Romania on the sidelines of the EPP Congress.

For more information please visit:

http://www.eppgroup.eu


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Committee of the Regions The EPP Group aims to enhance the efficiency and influence of the CoR by representing the interests of citizens in the diverse cities, regions and municipalities of Europe. The EPP Group works towards a Europe that will uphold a prosperous and peaceful future for all its citizens.

The European People’s Party is the largest political Group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR). Chaired by Michael SCHNEIDER (CDU-DE), the EPP Group is the CoR’s driving force in the EU decision making process. Thanks to its size, the EPP Group authors many opinions and resolutions for adoption by the Plenary, and is on the winning side of most decisions. It also holds a range of key positions within the Committee. In July 2012, Ramón Luís VALCÁRCEL SISO (PP-ES) was elected President of the CoR for a period of two and a half years, giving new impetus to the contribution of regions and cities in the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy for growth and jobs. The chairmanship of four of the seven Commissions is also in the hands of the EPP. Under the motto “think globally – act locally”, it works on the principle of subsidiarity.

This means that decisions should always be taken at the level closest to the citizens, unless a better result can be achieved by working at the national or European level. Given that approximately two-thirds of EU legislation is implemented by local and regional authorities, the EPP Group allows them to become more involved in framing European policies. Local and regional politicians are also ideally placed to establish and maintain close links with European citizens. The new EPP platform embraces this notion through its specific chapter on the importance of regions in economic, cultural and social terms, but also in the process of European integration.

For more information please visit:

http://www.epp.cor.europa.eu

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

EuroNest / Council of Europe / OSCE / NATO EPP IN THE EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY In 2012, the European People’s Party established a Group within the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, in order to promote and strengthen the political dimension of the Eastern Partnership. This EPP Group is chaired by EPP Vice President, MEP and Vice President of Euronest Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO-PL) and brings together EPP MEPs and EPP MPs from Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine as well as guests from Azerbaijan. The first meeting was hosted by the UNM delegation in Tbilisi, Georgia on 31 March 2012 ahead of the Euronest plenary session in Baku, Azerbaijan. The second meeting took place in Chisinau, Moldova on 13 October 2012.

EPP IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE The EPP is committed to the Council of Europe, an organisation that promotes the principles of the rule of law and the values of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Through their activity in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and in their national parliaments, more than 200 members of the Group of the European People’s Party (EPP-CD Group) have committed themselves to consolidating and stabilising freedom and democracy, human rights, peace, prosperity, solidarity and social cohesion throughout the European continent and the world. Chaired by Luca VOLONTÈ (UDC-IT), the members of the EPP-CD Group defend freedom of expression and information, as well as freedom of movement of ideas and of religious tolerance. In January 2012 Jean-Claude MIGNON (UMP-FR) was elected President of PACE, and initiated a dialogue with the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean with the goal of granting them “partner for democracy” status.

EPP IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE OSCE The EPP and the like-minded Group in the OSCE-PA, is chaired by Walburga HABSBURG DOUGLAS (MOD-SE). During the annual meeting of 2012 in Monaco, Riccardo MIGLIORI (PdL-IT) was elected President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. During 2012, the EPP members of the OSCE-PA were very active in election observation missions including Ukraine in October, where EPP chairwoman Walburga HABSBURG DOUGLAS led the OSCE mission. At the end of the mission, she underlined the democratic shortcomings of the election: “considering the abuse of power and an excessive role of money in this election, democratic progress appears to have reversed in Ukraine.”

EPP IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF NATO In 2012 Karl LAMMERS (CDU-DE) ended his term as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO having defended with great success the goals of the organisation. He remains a member of the bureau as Vice President, together with EPP and like-minded members Nicole AMELINE (UMP-FR), Cheryl GALLANT (Conservative Party, Canada) and Pierre Claude NOLIN (Conservative Party, Canada). During the annual meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly in Prague many EPP-affiliated members were elected in key positions.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

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Decision-Making Bodies Within the EPP there are three levels of decision-making: the Presidency, Political Assembly and Congress. The EPP Heads of Government and EPP Ministers can also give policy recommendations, while the EPP Working Groups perform the preparatory political work.

The Political Assembly is composed of designated delegates from EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and groups. The number of delegates for each party is linked to the election result in the last European election so that parties are weighted according to their strength. This allows the taking of decisions by majority. The Political Assembly meets three to five times per year.

THE PRESIDENCY The Presidency decides on the general political guidelines and presides over the Political Assembly. The Presidency is composed of the President, the Secretary General, 10 Vice Presidents, and the Treasurer. The Presidents of the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (if they belong to the EPP), as well as the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, are ex officio members of the EPP Presidency. THE POLITICAL ASSEMBLY The Political Assembly defines the positions of the Party between each Congress, decides on membership applications and finalises political guidelines. The Political Assembly also decides on the budget and safeguards the political presence of the EPP between Congress meetings.

THE CONGRESS The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the EPP. It is composed of delegates from EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and parliamentary groups, as well as representatives from observer member parties. The EPP Congress meets statutorily once every three years and elects the EPP Presidency. The Congress decides on the main policy documents and electoral programmes, and highlights EPP Heads of Government and party leaders. WORKING GROUPS The Political Assembly defines the mandate of the Working Groups, which prepare the Party’s policy documents and recommendations. All EPP member and associated member parties, member associations and groups, as well as members of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, are able to participate in the Working Groups.


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FOCUS! 21st EPP Congress The statutory Congress in Bucharest was a turning point for the EPP political family. With the 2014 European elections in mind, the EPP renewed its political programme, reelected President Martens and elected a new Presidency. Under the motto “The answer is more Europe”, the EPP Congress demonstrated a strong sense of unity in the party’s commitment to overcoming the current economic crisis, safeguarding the euro and generating sustainable economic growth and jobs.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Bucharest - Romania 17 - 18 October 2012

“THE MESSAGE GIVEN TO US BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE IS THAT THE WORLD NEEDS AND THE WORLD WANTS A STRONG EUROPE.” JOSÉ MANUEL BARROSO PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 EPP CONGRESS 2012 PARTY PLATFORM Twenty years after the “Basic Programme” of Athens, the EPP delegates adopted by a large majority the new “Party Platform”. The platform takes into account the challenges posed by an unprecedented and intensifying global world but also reiterates the values that guide the EPP such as freedom and responsibility, equality and justice, truth, solidarity, subsidiarity and the importance of a social market economy. The new party platform envisions a better European Union which is open to the world and contributes to the spread of human rights and pluralist democracy, which is closer to European citizens and responsive to their concerns, and which is firmly rooted in the principle of subsidiarity in order to strengthen democratic participation. It also emphasises the need for a stronger role for European political parties in the emergence of a European public sphere.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 BUCHAREST - ROMANIA

MANIFESTO The new “Manifesto” is a comprehensive document summarising the party platform and highlighting the party’s values and main political positions. The document underlines our clear commitment to establishing a real political union by enabling citizens to make clear and comprehensible choices.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 EPP CONGRESS 2012

Debating with our international guests about the future of the MENA region.

THEMATIC SECTIONS The EPP Congress in Bucharest hosted three thematic sections featuring EPP Prime Ministers and Members of Parliament who exchanged views with the Congress delegates on topical issues. The first event focused on how to strengthen Europe’s economy in light of global challenges, the second discussed how to preserve Europe for future generations by paving the way for a green and sustainable economy, and the third examined Europe and its neighbours, both in the context of new challenges and new opportunities.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 BUCHAREST - ROMANIA

REELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT “My new mandate will face many challenges, but it will be mainly focused on the preparation and launch of EPP’s campaign for the 2014 European elections. In the run-up to these crucial elections, we must increase our efforts to bring the European Union closer to the citizens and to offer them hope and perspective. During the campaign, the EPP and the other European political parties, must engage in a substantial pan-European political debate that, ultimately, will create a genuine European public space. As I have mentioned many times before, the EPP is committed to putting forward again its candidate for President of the European Commission, as it did in the 2004 and 2009 elections, and this candidate will spearhead EPP’s 2014 election campaign”.

The newly elected presidency of the EPP on stage.

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Political Assembly Highlights 9-10 FEBRUARY 2012 BRUSSELS The EPP accepted three Armenian parties as observer members. “One key mission of the EPP is to promote our values and European standards in countries with a European perspective such as Armenia. The acceptance of the Republican Party of Armenia, Country of Law and Heritage, in the EPP is of the utmost importance in fulfilling this mission”, EPP President Wilfried MARTENS stated. Regarding foreign policy issues, three key resolutions were unanimously adopted on Syria, Nigeria and Belarus: the Political Assembly firmly condemned the continuing violations of human rights, which have been committed on a massive scale by the Syrian government against its people amounting to crimes against humanity, and expressed serious concerns about the situation in Nigeria and the political developments in Belarus. The EPP also adopted a resolution on Data Protection and Internet Security, which was tabled by the Youth of the EPP (YEPP).

4-5 JUNE 2012 BRUSSELS The Political Assembly discussed solutions that will put the European Union on the path to sustainable growth and unanimously adopted a resolution on “A Trade Policy for Europe”. “Europe is at a turning point and the remaining weeks ahead of the upcoming European Council at the end of this month, will be crucial in the formulation of solutions for EU economic recovery.

Only budget discipline, competitiveness and sustainable growth will lead to economic development and job creation”, EPP President Wilfried MARTENS stated on that occasion.

Eugenia TYMOSHENKO, who delivered a vibrant testimony on her mother’s politically motivated incarceration and reiterated the fragility of democracy in Ukraine.

On the eve of the kick-off of the Euro 2012 football tournament in Poland and Ukraine, the EPP reiterated its concerns regarding the continued incarceration of Yulia TYMOSHENKO, the deterioration of democracy and human rights and the on-going repression of the democratic opposition in Ukraine.

The Political Assembly welcomed the Prime Minister of Georgia Vano MERABISHVILI, who reported on the implementation of reforms in the fields of police, the fight against corruption and constitutional changes. The Prime Minister also outlined the government’s priorities for the coming years. President Martens underlined that “Georgia has become a role-model of reform for the entire Eastern Partnership region”.

The Political Assembly also welcomed the Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran SARGSYAN, who reported on the significant progress that his country made in implementing democratic norms and practices in the parliamentary elections of 6 May 2012. The EPP also adopted resolutions which were tabled by two EPP member associations: “Knowledge is power” was presented by the European Democrat Students (EDS), and Improving equality on the labour market: “Chances through diversity” and “Women in conflict zones and situations” was presented by EPP Women.

3 SEPTEMBER 2012 BRUSSELS The Political Assembly finalised preparations for the 21st EPP Congress to be held in Bucharest on 17-18 October 2012, with the theme “The answer is more Europe!” The EPP reiterated its support for Yulia TYMOSHENKO and welcomed her daughter

In addition, a lively debate took place on the financial and economic crisis, the European project and the difficult political situation in Romania.

16 OCTOBER 2012 BUCHAREST The Political Assembly was held in Bucharest, Romania immediately prior to the EPP Congress of 17-18 October. The EPP granted observer status to the Kosovar party LDK whilst underlining that this decision was independent of granting a final status to Kosovo. Key topics were discussed, including the completion of the Single Market, industrial policy, the political developments in Ukraine, the Euronest and the future of Erasmus. The Political Assembly also unanimously approved its budget and membership fees for 2013.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Working Groups

WORKING GROUP 1 EPP Working Group 1, which is co-chaired by EPP President Wilfried MARTENS and EPP Vice President Peter HINTZE, focused on finalising the new EPP “Party Platform” and the EPP “Manifesto” in 2012. The process of drafting these documents already began in 2011 in close cooperation with representatives of the EPP member parties, as well as with established and upcoming experts alike, who offered important views and contributions to the text. This process was concluded with the adoption of both documents at the EPP Congress in Bucharest in October. Working Group 1 was also responsible for discussing the resolutions which were put forward at the EPP Congress in Bucharest.

WORKING GROUP 2 The main focus of Working Group 2, which was chaired in 2012 by EPP Group Vice Chairman Gunnar HÖKMARK, MEP (MOD-SE) and former EPP Vice President Rumiana JELEVA (GERB-BG), was the elaboration of two Resolutions: “The European Single Market – Key to making Europe the leading economy in the world” and “EU Cohesion Policy – Key to improving competitiveness and achieving convergence in Europe”, which were adopted at the EPP Congress in Bucharest. Over the course of this process, the Working Group invited decision makers and senior experts from academia, think tanks and the business community to contribute qualified input. The objective of the Resolution “The European Single Market – Key to making Europe the leading economy in the world” is to present the single market as a primary source of economic growth in the European Union. The Resolution proposes that we make better use of the opportunities provided by the world’s biggest economic area, which is the EU with its internal market.

The resolution proposes concrete measures for labour markets, the development of the digital single market, of the internal market in energy and of the European Research Area. The scope of the Resolution “EU Cohesion Policy – Key to improving competitiveness and achieving convergence in Europe” is to return cohesion policy to its primary function: helping the EU’s least competitive countries and regions to become more competitive and to catch up with more developed European regions. This Resolution presents cohesion policy as an investment and development policy, which enables economic growth. It also underlines that structural funds must primarily be used to support new future-oriented opportunities.

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WORKING GROUP 3 Working Group 3, chaired by EPP Vice President and MEP Corien WORTMANN-KOOL (CDA-NL), promotes and incorporates new parties which have applied to become full members, associate members or observer members of the EPP. On 10 February 2012, the EPP Political Assembly voted in favour of accepting three Armenian parties as EPP observer members: the Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Country of Law (OEK) and Heritage. The HHK President and President of the Republic of Armenia Serzh SARGSYAN became the EPP’s 7th non-EU Head of State and Government. Working Group 3 also organises workshops as a vehicle to exchange views and share knowledge between experts and working group members in different areas of foreign policy. On 29 March 2012, Working Group 3 members met to exchange views on the political, social and economic situation in the Western Balkans and Kosovo as part of the workshop “Kosovo on its way towards stability and European integration”. This workshop provided the background information prior to the fact-finding mission to Kosovo that took place from 14- 16 June 2012. Following Working Group’s positive recommendations on 3 October 2012, the Political Assembly on 16 October accepted the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) as an EPP observer member. The continiously deteriorating situation in Belarus was raised and discussed with the experts from that country at the Working Group 3 meeting on 29 March 2012 and again on 3 October 2012.

On 3 October 2012, the Working Group 3 members were also able to get detailed and first-hand information about Ukraine and Georgia by exchanging views with the EPP Vice President Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, MEP (PO-PL) and Krzysztof LISEK, MEP (PO-PL) who was member of the EP electoral observation mission to the 2012 Georgian Parliamentary elections. In order to support its political partners, the EPP organises study visits. For instance, from 19–21 September 2012, the Working Group 3 delegates, headed by EPP Vice President Corien WORTMANN-KOOL, visited Georgia and praised the significant achievements of the UNM government in building a democratic and stable European country and in reinforcing EU and euro-atlantic integration in Georgia.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 WORKING GROUPS

CYBER SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD AND EPP TASK FORCE ON RESPECTFUL INTERNET FREEDOMS In 2012, two very important meetings were set up within the EPP framework to deal with cyber security, data protection, net neutrality, and copyrights in the internet. The first one was chaired by Monika HOHLMEIER, MEP (CSU-DE) and the second one by Christofer FJELLNER, MEP (MOD-SE) and Konstantinos KYRINAKIS, YEPP Vice President. The EPP brought together politicians and experts with a legal, academic and technical background. The goal of such meetings is to formulate EPP’s positions in these very complex but increasingly important fields.

EXPERT GROUP ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS On 6 June 2012, the EPP launched the Expert Group on Foreign Affairs. This group - chaired by Franco FRATTINI, former Italian Foreign Minister and former Vice President of the European Commission, and Mário DAVID, MEP (PSD-PT) and EPP Vice President - is composed of members of the European Parliament and national parliaments who deal with foreign affairs, as well as former Foreign Ministers. The main objective of this group is to contribute to the shaping of EPP policy on foreign affairs focusing mainly on the Eastern Partnership, the Middle East and North Africa, the Western Balkans, the transatlantic dimension, relations with the BRIC countries and on all major international issues. Two successful meetings were held on the 6 June and 4 September 2012 in Brussels, the second featuring Majlinda BREGU, Minister of European Integration in Albania. On 18 October 2012 during the EPP Congress in Bucharest, this expert group organised a comprehensive exchange of views between EU representatives including the Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs

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Committee, Elmar BROK, MEP (CDU-DE), the Chairman of the Security and Defence Subcommittee, Arnaud DANJEAN, MEP (UMP-FR) and the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Riccardo MIGLIORI (PdL-IT), as well as distinguished guests from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) including former Prime Minister of Lebanon Fouad SINIORA, former Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority Nabil SHAATH and Abdelfattah MOUROU, Founder and Vice-President of Ennahdha in Tunisia. The high-level roundtable discussion titled “New challenges and opportunities: Europe and the responsibility of its neighbours” enabled a discussion of the latest significant developments in the Muslim world and the chance for participants to search for common ground for further cooperation between MENA countries and EU.

CAMPAIGN MANAGERS MEETING Several times per year the EPP organises campaign managers meetings, in which the key campaign operatives from the EPP member parties meet to discuss the national and European campaigns, to exchange experiences, to develop common strategies and to discuss new techniques in campaigning. In 2012, the EPP campaign managers met twice, in May in Brussels and in November in Madrid. The first meeting in Brussels was mostly focused on national campaigns, election strategy, the role of social media and communication strategy. The meeting in Madrid also reviewed the recent national campaigns; however the main topic of discussion was the European elections 2014. Kostas SASMATZOGLOU, EPP spokesman and campaign manager for the 2014 European elections conducted a round table discussion on the main challenges of the upcoming European campaign and presented the EPP roadmap. In addition, participants had an opportunity to have a close and detailed look at Eurobarometer survey, as well as to discuss new techniques in research and electoral communication.

Fouad SINIORA, former Prime Minister of Lebanon; Abdelfattah MOUROU, founder and Vice-President of Ennahdha, Tunisia; and Nabil SHAATH, former Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority.


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Foreign Affairs

THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY

In order to develop the parliamentary dimension of the Eastern Partnership, the European People’s Party is the first political family to have established The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) a parliamentary group within the Euronest is the cornerstone of the EPP’s external relations. Parliamentary Assembly, bringing together This framework has enabled the EPP to develop its political cooperation with the EU’s neighbouring EPP MEPs and EPP MPs from Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, as well as guests from countries and to support them in building more Azerbaijan. The creation of this group, chaired stable, democratic and prosperous states. by EPP Vice President and MEP Jacek SARYUSZSeveral official visits were held, diverse events WOLSKI (PO-PL), allows the EPP to enhance its organised and documents adopted in order to political influence within Euronest and within its strengthen the political dimension of the ENP. committees. Two successful meetings took place, on 31 March 2012 in Georgia and on 13 October EASTERN PARTNERSHIP 2012 in Moldova. The Eastern Partnership (EaP) remains a key priority for the EPP. In 2012 the EPP However, in 2012 the EPP remained concerned continued its efforts to promote the about the political developments in Ukraine. development of this process, which offers It is unfortunate that the road to a democratic EaP countries a large number of tools and and prosperous state for Ukraine has turned opportunities aimed at enhancing their out to be a long and painful process because economic and political integration in the EU. of the violations of human rights, the repression In doing so, the EPP was confronted with of the opposition and abuse of the rule sensitive issues such as the relationships of law. The Ukrainian Parliamentary elections between EaP countries and Russia as well on 28 October 2012 were conducted in a as the EU-Russia relationship. non-transparent and flawed manner. The political dimension of the EaP was strengthened in 2012 by the establishment of the EPP Eastern Partnership Leaders’ Summit, which is attended by EPP President Wilfried MARTENS, the President of Georgia Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, the President of Armenia Serzh SARGSYAN and the Prime Minister of Moldova Vlad FILAT. The first Summit was held in Batumi, Georgia on 11 July 2012 and the second on 30 November 2012 in Yerevan, Armenia. The two declarations adopted in Batumi and Yerevan can be considered as the EPP’s roadmap for the Eastern Partnership. The participation of the President of the European Commission José Manuel BARROSO to the second EPP EaP Leaders Summit, demonstrated the importance of this meeting.

The EPP continues to support the main opposition parties Batkivschyna and UDAR in their fight against creeping authoritarianism. EPP Vice President and MEP Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO-PL), visited Ukraine in September 2012 in order to facilitate the dialogue between the EPP and like-minded opposition parties, while Elmar BROK (CDU-DE), EPP foreign affairs coordinator and MEP, made an official visit to the country in December 2012.


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As the European Union is becoming a global player on an international scale, the biggest political force of the EU, the European People’s Party, is actively assisting in strengthening foreign relations at a political level, whilst influencing Europe’s foreign policy priorities.

In 2012 the situation in Georgia has escalated and became worrying. Since the new administration has taken office after free and fair elections organised by the administration of President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, it has been demonstrating undemocratic practices, harassing UNM members and undermining the institutions they do not control, which could slow down Georgia on its way towards EU integration. NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST In 2012 the EPP continued its commitment to promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue with the Muslim world, while supporting Arab countries which are striving for peace, democracy and stability. In January 2012 EPP President Wilfried MARTENS visited Lebanon, a symbolic and strategic country with a difficult internal political situation and which is directly confronted with the dramatic events in Syria. The EPP President discussed the political developments in Lebanon and the cooperation between the EU and Lebanon during his meetings with President Michel SLEIMAN, Prime Minister Najib MIKATI, former Prime Minister Fouad SINIORA, Lebanese forces President Samir GEAGEA and Kataëb President and former President of Lebanon, Amine GEMAYEL. The situation of the Christians in the region was one of the main points raised during the EPP President’s meeting with the Patriarch of the Maronites, Bechara BOUTROS RAÏ. From 12-14 February 2012, President MARTENS had the opportunity to visit Tunisia, the country that sparked the Arab Spring uprisings and then held its first democratic elections in October 2011. He discussed the on-going work of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, witnessed the internal progress and discussed the role of religion in the functioning of the state. Moreover, the President met Tunisia’s main political leaders (Prime Minister Hamadi JEBALI, the Parliament President Mustapha BEN JAAFAR and former Prime Minister Beji CAÏD ESSEBSI) as well as leaders of the main parties (Ennahda, Jomhouri, Nidaa Tounes), youth and representatives from civil society.

He encouraged further democratic transition in the country and shared valuable EPP experiences in strengthening pro-democratic forces and institutions.

The relationship with the countries of the Western Balkans therefore remains a top priority of the EPP. From 14-16 June 2012, the Working Group 3 “EPP Membership” conducted a fact-finding mission to Kosovo with the main The EPP supports a continuous and effective purpose of assessing the application of the Middle East Peace Process. As part of that Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) led effort, President MARTENS conducted a two-day by the Mayor of Pristina, Isa MUSTAFA. visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authorities from 21-22 May 2012 and met the main political leaders, including the President of Israel, Shimon TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS PERES, Prime Minister Benyamin NETANYAHU The European People’s Party continued to and the Prime Minister of the Palestinian expand its activities to strengthen transatlantic Authority, Salam FAYYAD. He acknowledged relations. Many roundtable discussions and the achievements of the Palestinian Authority seminars on a variety of topics were organised in state building and reiterated the commitment in Brussels and Washington together with the of the EU to the security of Israel. During his International Republican Institute (IRI) – covering visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, topics such as Ukraine, Georgia, the Arab Spring, the EPP President was confronted with the etc – and featured many high-profile European question of the settlements and stated that and American speakers. Moreover, in August all behaviours which undermine the two-state the EPP organised its quadrennial event in the solution must be condemned. United States, on the sidelines of the Republican From 17-28 September 2012, the EPP, together with its Parliamentary group in the European Parliament and the Centre for European Studies (CES), established the framework of “Training and Seminars for political parties of Northern Africa and Middle East”. Young, pro-active members from different Tunisian political parties (Ennahda, Front Jeune, Jomhouri, Nidaa Tounes) made their first visit to Brussels and learned about the functioning of the EU by visiting the EPP headquarters, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European External Action Service, in addition to discussing EU politics and policies during their meetings with the EPP representatives and MEPs.

WESTERN BALKANS Between the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, with which it is necessary for Europe to develop a privileged partnership, and the member countries of the Eastern Partnership, whose European destiny is being affirmed day after day, the Balkans occupy a particularly special place.

National Convention in Tampa, featuring EPP Group Chairman Joseph DAUL MEP (UMP-FR), as the keynote speaker. Furthermore, during the Tampa Convention, a senior EPP delegation conducted many high-level meetings with the leadership of the Republican Party. Finally, the EPP’s think tank, the Centre for European Studies (CES), and the IRI organised in Brussels in June the third annual Transatlantic Think Tank Conference which brought together prominent speakers from Europe and the United States.


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Communication

The mission of the EPP Press and Communication Department is to promote our political family and disseminate information to the general public and the European and international media. Our team works closely with colleagues in the EU institutions and with the communication departments of our member parties in the national capitals in order to streamline our messaging and maximise our impact on public opinion.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 COMMUNICATION

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Twitter account

12,000 Followers Facebook page

120,000 Likes EPP in numbers. March 2013

Flickr account

1,200,000 Photo views

NEW VISUAL IDENTITY In 2012 the EPP also rolled out a new visual identity, which brings to the forefront one of our primary colors, blue, while accentuating in an attractive manner one element from our logo – the bridge. The new EPP’s visual identity has been incorporated in almost all our communication tools – press releases, social media, event props, publications, stationary – and it will soon be incorporated in our new and improved website www.epp.eu, which will be launched in March 2013. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY In 2012, the EPP continued to improve its communication strategy in an effort to help close the gap between the EU and European citizens. We strive to explain in an open and transparent manner our policies through a set of interactive, web-based platforms. Thus, the EPP is not only present in all of the main social networks, but it also has by far the highest level of social engagement compared to all other European political parties and groups - and continues to rapidly expand its outreach. For example, the EPP Facebook page has attracted a spectacular 120,000 “Likes”, the Twitter page over 12,000 “Followers”, the Flickr page over 1,200,000 photo views, as well as many thousands of video views on our YouTube channel.

Get Social with us! twitter.epp.eu facebook.epp.eu youtube.epp.eu flickr.epp.eu linkedin.epp.eu gplus.epp.eu


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Structure and Resources In September 2012 the European Commission adopted a proposal to create a genuine European Legal Statute for European Political Parties and Foundations, thereby giving them EU legal capacity in all Member States. The creation of a European Legal Statute was a longstanding demand of the EPP. This authentic European legal status will enable the European political parties and their foundations to act as representative agents of the European public interest and will increase their visibility, recognition, effectiveness, transparancy and accountability. The EPP is working in close cooperation with the rapporteur and the EPP members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO), as well as our representatives in the European General Affairs Council, to have the Commission’s proposal approved before the European elections in 2014. EPP FINANCES: SOLID AND TRANSPARENT In 2012 the EPP Auditors Report made the following conclusion: “the EPP General Secretariat practices a detailed budget control and gives proof of commitment and solid professional and transparent financial and budgetary management despite the multitude of new tasks.”

PUBLIC FUNDING The European Union budget for 2012 set aside 18.9 million euro for the funding of European political parties. 15% of the budget is distributed among the parties in equal shares, while 85% is distributed on the basis of the number of seats in the European Parliament held by each party. 13 European political parties were recognised in 2012 and received funding from the European Parliament (in millions of euro): • European People’s Party (EPP) - 6.4 • Party of European Socialists (PES) - 4.3 • Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) - 1.9 • European Green Party (EGP) - 1.3 • Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) - 1.2 • Party of the European Left (EL) - 0.8 • Movement for Europe of Liberties & Democracy (MELD) - 0.6 • European Democratic Party (EDP) - 0.5 • European Free Alliance (EFA) - 0.3 • European Alliance for Freedom (EAF) - 0.3 • EU Democrats (EUD) - 0.2 • European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) - 0.2 • European Alliance of National Movements (AEMN) - 0.2 The European Parliament funds constitute two-thirds of the EPP’s income. The rest of the income is generated through membership fees. The membership fees of the ordinary member parties are calculated on the basis of the political strength of the party and the number of MEPs. The membership fee of the associate and observer member parties is calculated by the Political Assembly on the basis of the votes obtained by these parties during the last national elections.


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Headquarters / Internship Programme

EPP INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME In 2012 the EPP continued its successful internship programme by giving young university graduates the opportunity to acquire useful experience in European political life.

EPP HEADQUARTERS : THE BRUSSELS MEETING POINT OF THE EPP FAMILY. The EPP Headquarters are the true Brussels meeting point for everyone who is linked to the large family of the European People’s Party. The meeting rooms and attractive lounge hosted numerous working groups, conferences, seminars, and Presidency and Ministerial Meetings. Almost daily the EPP Headquarters welcome visitors from member parties and high-level delegations from all over the globe. All of them are charmed by the modern, efficient and inviting look and feel of our premises. In addition to the EPP staff, the building hosts most of the EPP member associations, the Centrist Democrat International, and the Forum for European Studies.

EPP internships are focused on immersing the trainees in the short- and long-term political planning and activities of the party, including organising meetings and conferences, preparing reports and press releases, editing publications, updating the website and databases, communicating with member parties, EPP Groups, associations and other affiliated organisations, liaising with officials from the European institutions, etc.

THE 2012 INTERNS

Linda EICHLER – Estonia Natalia MTCHEDLISHVILI – Georgia Ferdinando PALMERI – Italy Sara PETRUCCI – Italy Óscar SÁNCHEZ BENÍTEZ – Venezuela


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Member Associations

YEPP

ESCU

EPP WOMEN

YEPP is the youth branch of the European People’s Party. Bringing together 57 centre-right member organisations from 39 countries all over Europe, it is the largest pan-European youth political organisation. Founded in 1997, YEPP gathers Christian democrat and conservative youth parties. In line with the values defended by YEPP such as European integration, the rule of law and freedom, YEPP organised conferences and trainings in 2012 on topical subjects including “The Future of European Integration: Breaking Taboos”, “Youth Unemployment”, “Democracy in North Africa”, “European Internal and External Cooperation”, and “Bringing Citizens Closer to the EU”.

With more than one million members, the ESCU is the largest political senior citizens’ organisation in Europe. Represented in 27 countries by 41 organisations, the ESCU is dedicated to advancing the rights of European senior citizens and addressing issues such as the role of the elderly in ageing European societies, discrimination against the elderly, European pension systems, volunteering and seniors’ active commitment in society. This year the Vienna Summer Academy focused on Senior Citizens for Europe and emphasised that the expertise and knowledge of seniors can provide solutions to the crisis Europe is currently facing.

EPP WOMEN (EPPW) is composed of 40 member organisations from political parties which are members of the EPP in the European Union and non-EU countries. EPP WOMEN is dedicated to the advancement of women’s political emancipation throughout Europe and the promotion of important women-related issues such as gender equality in the labour market and the political sphere, women and the Arab Spring, women and the financial crisis, etc.

PRESIDENT Csaba DÖMÖTÖR

PRESIDENT Bernhard WORMS

PRESIDENT Doris PACK

SECRETARY GENERAL Juha-Pekka NURVALA

SECRETARY GENERAL Ingeborg UHLENBROCK

SECRETARY GENERAL Hillie VAN DE STREEK

For more information please visit:

http://youthepp.eu

YEPP - Activities in 2012. 23-26 February: YEPP Seminar and Council Meeting, Budapest, Hungary. 10-13 May: YEPP Chairmen’s Conference and Council Meeting, Lisbon, Portugal. 04-08 August: YEPP Summer School, Larnaca, Cyprus. 27-30 September: YEPP Seminar and Council Meeting, Madrid, Spain. 17-18 October: YEPP Board Meeting and Sideline Congress Event, Bucharest, Romania. 14-17 November: YEPP Study Days, Brussels, Belgium.

For more information please visit:

http://eu-seniorunion.info

ESCU - Activities in 2012. 18-19 March: ESCU Regional Conference “WEST” in Karlsruhe, Germany. 11-13 May: ESCU Regional Conference “EAST” in Prague, Czech Republic. 24-26 June: ESCU Third Summer Academy for Leaders, Vienna, Austria. 10-11 November: ESCU Regional Conference “SOUTH” in Nicosia, Cyprus.

For more information please visit:

http://epp-women.org

EPPW - Activities in 2012. 10 February: EPPW Conference on “Quota for women in business leadership positions - does the European Union have to intervene?”, Berlin, Germany. 12 April: EPPW Colloque, Brussels, Belgium. 12-16 July: EPPW Summer Academy, Istanbul, Turkey. 19 October: EPPW Congress Berlin, Germany.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

YEPP

ESCU

EPP WOMEN

EDS EUCDW

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EDS

EUCDW

EDS is the official student 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. Although EDS is a student organisation and therefore takes a special interest in topics like the Bologna Process, the organisation is also especially aware of the importance of promoting values like freedom, democracy and human rights. EDS has 42 member organisations from 35 countries, representing over 1,600,000 students and youth, including in non-EU member countries such as Turkey, Israel, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Kosovo. Every year the organisation hosts summer and winter universities and several seminars, publishes its magazine, the “BullsEye” four times per year and engages in campaigns of various types for students and young people.

The EUCDW is the workers’ association of the European People’s Party, with 22 member organisations from 17 European countries. As the official EPP representative for wage-earners, the EUCDW supports all related work carried out by the EPP and promotes the interests of its affiliated democratic trade unions, political associations and civil society organisations in the EPP, the European Parliament and at all political and trade union levels in Europe. This year, the EUDCW actively contributed to the new EPP Platform and successfully submitted several resolutions to the EPP Congress in Bucharest. The EUCDW supports stricter rules for a safer and fairer financial sector and the development of EU economic policy in the spirit of the social market economy.

CHAIRMAN Juraj ANTAL

PRESIDENT Elmar BROK

SECRETARY GENERAL Ann-Sofie PAUWELYN

SECRETARY GENERAL Ivo BELET

For more information please visit:

http://www.edsnet.org

EDS - Activities in 2012. 21-26 February: EDS Winter University 2012 “Democratisation Process in the Balkans - Promoting European Values and Human Rights”, Zagreb, Croatia. 8-12 May: EDS Council Meeting and Seminar “Knowledge is Power”, Antwerp/Brussels, Belgium. 13-17 June: EDS Policy days “Eastern Partnership 2.0 A chance to deeper integration and cooperation”, Tbilisi, Georgia. 15-20 July: EDS Summer University 2012 “Crossing Borders - Uniting Europe”, Sopron/Eisenstadt, Hungary. 15-20 October: EDS Council Meeting and Seminar “Youth Involvement in Politics of the 21st Century”, Bucharest, Romania. 4-9 December: EDS Council Meeting and Seminar “Living Together in Diverse Societies - A Youth Approach to the Intercultural Dialogue with the Roma Minority”, Trnava, Slovakia.

For more information please visit:

http://eucdw.org

EUCDW - Activities in 2012. 25 January: EUCDW Financial Working Group, Brussels, Belgium. 26 May: EUCDW Presidium and Board Meeting, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. 12 July: EUCDW Political Working Group, Brussels, Belgium. 17 October: EUCDW Delegation Meeting at the EPP Congress in Bucharest, Romania. 29 August: EUCDW Board Meeting, Berlin, Germany. 6 December: EUCDW Presidium Meeting, Vienna, Austria.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Centre for European Studies

The Centre for European Studies (CES) had a remarkable year in 2012. The official think tank of the EPP celebrated its 5th anniversary by playing a significant role in reaching out to the people of Europe and enabling them to better understand the concept and processes of politics at the European level. Its function as a catalyst for raising awareness of citizens’ mutual responsibility for the future of Europe was recognised by the University of Pennsylvania, which ranked the CES among the EU’s top political think tanks in its prestigious 2012 Global GoTo Think Tank Report.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES

ACTIVITIES AND RESEARCH A wide range of political issues were covered in CES publications including migration into the EU, populism, environmental and energy policies for sustainable growth, EU cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the European future of the Western Balkans and the democratic deficit in the EU. CES activities focused on these and many other relevant topics in the EU political scene. ECONOMIC IDEAS FORUM Experts and policymakers from across Europe and beyond gathered in Dublin on 19 and 20 April for the third annual Economic Ideas Forum (EIF), organised by the CES with the aim of providing a forum for key decision makers to offer insights and exchange views. Panellists - including EU officials, business leaders, ministers and heads of government agreed on the importance of promoting fiscal responsibility, completing the European Single Market and forging a new transatlantic trade agreement. Taoiseach Enda KENNY and EPP and CES President Wilfried MARTENS co-hosted the conference, calling for EU countries to continue to support each other through the crisis as well as for new policies to spur growth and job creation and a commitment to continued investment in research and innovation. THIRD ANNUAL TRANSATLANTIC THINK TANK CONFERENCE Another important CES initiative was the third annual Transatlantic Think Tank Conference in Brussels on 26 June, carried out in cooperation with the International Republican Institute (IRI). The event brought together influential analysts, experts, policymakers and other stakeholders from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss a wide range of issues, including a new transatlantic trade agreement and the possibility of adopting a common approach towards Asia.

THE INTERNATIONAL VISITORS PROGRAMME As part of the EPP Congress in Bucharest, the CES organised its 4th International Visitors Programme (IVP), with the aim of bringing together international guests and world-class thinkers to address pressing issues on the European and global agendas. European Commission Vice-President Antonio TAJANI and CES Secretary Treasurer Antonio LÓPEZISTÚRIZ opened the programme, which was followed by two panel discussions addressing Europe’s role in the world and the achievements and challenges of the European Single Market. In addition to the panels, the CES organised live interviews with a number of European Commissioners, heads of state, ministers, MEPs and business representatives, which were watched by many Congress participants. SPRINGENERATION SURVEY RESULTS: IDEAS FOR EUROPE-MENA PARTNERSHIP In 2012 the CES culminated its ambitious public opinion initiative, the “Springeneration” online survey, which aimed to foster partnership and dialogue between Europeans and people in the Middle East and North Africa. The survey attracted more than 70,000 participants who contributed more than 25,000 comments and ideas. The CES then presented the results of the survey on 5 June in Brussels. CES Secretary Treasurer Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ remarked that it is the duty of the EPP to strengthen ties with those countries and people striving for democracy. In November, nine actual participants of the survey from MENA countries were invited to Brussels in order to further discuss their ideas for EU-MENA cooperation with leading MEPs at an event organised in the European Parliament.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

2014 European elections

In 2012, the European People’s Party took its preliminary steps in preparation of the 2014 European elections. Following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009, which calls for the European Council to take into account the result of the European elections when nominating a President of the European Commission, in 2014 the EPP will again take the lead by nominating its presidential candidate (as it did in 2004 and 2009) and campaign with its candidate across Europe. To this end, the EPP Congress in Bucharest approved a special resolution, which underlines its intention to put forward a presidential candidate that will spearhead the EPP campaign and compete against the presidential candidates of the other European political parties. Moreover, in preparation of the campaign, the EPP appointed its Spokesman, Kostas SASMATZOGLOU, as its campaign manager, and set up a Campaign Steering Committee (CSC) chaired by EPP President Wilfried MARTENS, which includes representatives from the EPP Presidency, the EPP member parties, the EPP Group in the European Parliament, and the Centre for European Studies.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

JOSÉ MANUEL BARROSO “STATE OF THE UNION” SPEECH 12 SEPTEMBER 2012

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION P7_TA-PROV(2012)0462 22 NOVEMBER 2012

“AN IMPORTANT MEANS TO DEEPEN THE PAN-EUROPEAN POLITICAL DEBATE WOULD BE THE PRESENTATION BY EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES OF THEIR CANDIDATE FOR THE POST OF COMMISSION PRESIDENT AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS ALREADY IN 2014. THIS WOULD BE A DECISIVE STEP TO MAKE THE POSSIBILITY OF A EUROPEAN CHOICE OFFERED BY THESE ELECTIONS EVEN CLEARER. I CALL ON THE POLITICAL PARTIES TO COMMIT TO THIS STEP AND THUS TO FURTHER EUROPEANISE THESE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS”

“URGES THE EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COMMISSION AND EXPECTS THOSE CANDIDATES TO PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN, IN PARTICULAR BY PERSONALLY PRESENTING THEIR PROGRAMME IN ALL MEMBER STATES OF THE UNION; STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF REINFORCING THE POLITICAL LEGITIMACY OF BOTH PARLIAMENT AND THE COMMISSION BY CONNECTING THEIR RESPECTIVE ELECTIONS MORE DIRECTLY TO THE CHOICE OF THE VOTERS”

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42

ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Who is Who Presidency PRESIDENT

Wilfried MARTENS Belgium - CD&V

VICE PRESIDENTS*

* In order of their election.

Lucinda CREIGHTON Ireland - FG

Michel BARNIER France - UMP

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 - MOD

Anca BOAGIU Romania - PDL

Ingo FRIEDRICH / TREASURER Germany - CSU

José Manuel BARROSO Portugal - PSD

Herman VAN ROMPUY Belgium - CD&V

Joseph DAUL France - UMP

EX OFFICIO VICE PRESIDENTS


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Secretariat SECRETARY GENERAL

Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ Secretary General

Christian KREMER Deputy Secretary General

Luc VANDEPUTTE Deputy Secretary General

Kostas SASMATZOGLOU Spokesman

Nicolas BRIEC Secretary of External Relations

Brenda FURNIERE

Giuseppina CURRELI

Javier JIMÉNEZ

Melanie DURSIN Political Adviser mdursin@epp.eu

Galina FOMENCHENKO Political Adviser gfomenchenko@epp.eu

Juan MAGAZ

Siegfried MURESAN

Ines PRAINSACK

Karine MILHEIRO

Beatriz DE ANTA DE BENITO

Claudia CAJVAN

Daphné LAMAL

Pavlína HEYMANSŠPAČKOVÁ

John LAGESON

Sophie PAEME

Charlotte FRIZBERG Assistant Event Management cfrizberg@epp.eu

Guy VOLCKAERT

Gonçalo CARRIÇO

STAFF

Head of the President’s Office bfurniere@epp.eu

Eva PALACKOVÁ

Political Adviser epalackova@epp.eu

Julia ZALUTSKAJA

Assistant to the Secretary of External Relations jzalutskaja@epp.eu

Political Adviser iprainsack@epp.eu

Lisa DUTTON

Assistant to the President’s Office ldutton@epp.eu

Head of the Secretary General’s Office and Senior Political Adviser gcurreli@epp.eu

Press and Communication Officer kmilheiro@epp.eu

Yelba TORRES

Working Groups, Ministerial Meetings ytorres@epp.eu

Senior Press and Communication Officer jjimenez@epp.eu

Assistant to the Secretary General bdeanta@epp.eu

Reception and general administration spaeme@epp.eu

Assistant to Deputy Secretary General Christian Kremer ccajvan@epp.eu

Assistant to Deputy Secretary General Luc Vandeputte dlamal@epp.eu

Óscar SÁNCHEZ BENÍTEZ

Political Adviser jmagaz@epp.eu

Assistant (on leave) to the Spokesman pheymans@epp.eu

Manager of Informatics Social Media Manager and Internet osanchezbenitez@epp.eu gvolckaert@epp.eu

Political Adviser smuresan@epp.eu

Substitute Assistant to the Spokesman jlageson@epp.eu

IT Systems Administrator gcarrico@epp.eu


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Member Parties European Union countries +

Associate members ° Observer members

AT

Österreichische Volkspartei / ÖVP / Austrian People’s Party

BE

Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams / CD&V / Christian Democrat and Flemish Centre démocrate humaniste / cdH / Humanist Democratic Centre

BG

HR

epp.eu/oevp

epp.eu/cdenv epp.eu/cdh

Граждани за европейско развитие на България • Grazhdani za evropeysko razvitie na Balgariya / epp.eu/gerb ГЕРБ • GERB / Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Съюз на демократичните сили • Sayuz na demokratichnite sili / СДС • SDS / Union of Democratic Forces epp.eu/sds-bg epp.eu/dsb Демократи за силна България • Demokrati za silna Bulgaria / ДСБ • DSB / Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria Демократическа партия • Demokraticheska partia / ДП • DP / Democratic Party epp.eu/dp Земеделски Народен Съюз • Zemedelski Naroden Sajuz / ЗНС • ZNS / Agrarian People’s Union epp.eu/zns Hrvatska demokratska zajednica+ / HDZ / Croatian Democratic Union Hrvatska seljačka stranka+ / HSS / Croatian Peasant’s Party

epp.eu/hdz epp.eu/hss

epp.eu/disy

CY

CZ

Tradice Odpovědnost Prosperita 09 / TOP09 / Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 Křesťanská a demokratická unie – Československá strana lidová / KDU-ČSL / Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People’s Party

epp.eu/top09 epp.eu/kdu

DK

Det Konservative Folkeparti / C / Conservative People’s Party Kristendemokraterne / KD / Christian Democrats

epp.eu/c epp.eu/kd-dk

EE

Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit / IRL / Pro Patria and Res Publica Union

FI

Kansallinen Kokoomus / KOK / National Coalition Party Kristillisdemokraatit° / KD / Christian Democrats

FR

Union pour un Mouvement Populaire / UMP / Union for a Popular Movement

DE

Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands / CDU / Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern / CSU / Christian Social Union in Bavaria

epp.eu/kokoomus epp.eu/kd

epp.eu/ump

epp.eu/cdu epp.eu/csu

epp.eu/nd

GR

HU

epp.eu/irl

Fidesz - Magyar Polgári Szövetség / FIDESZ / Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt / KDNP / Christian Democratic People’s Party

epp.eu/fidesz epp.eu/kdnp


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012 MEMBER PARTIES

epp.eu/fg

IE

Fine Gael / FG / Family of the Irish

IT

Il Popolo della Libertà / PdL / The People of Freedom Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e di Centro / UDC / Union of the Centre UDEUR Popolari per il Sud / UDEUR / People for the South Südtiroler Volkspartei° / SVP / South Tyrolean People’s Party

LV

Vienotība / Unity

LT

Tėvynės sąjunga - Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai / TS-LKD / Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats

LU

Chrëschtlech Sozial Vollekspartei / CSV / Christian Social People’s Party

MT

Partit Nazzjonalista / PN / Nationalist Party

NL

Christen-Democratisch Appèl / CDA / Christian Democratic Appeal

PL

Platforma Obywatelska / PO / Civic Platform Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe / PSL / Polish People’s Party

PT

Partido Social Democrata / PSD / Social Democratic Party Centro Democrático e Social - Partido Popular / CDS-PP / Social and Democratic Centre – People’s Party

epp.eu/psd epp.eu/cdspp

RO

Partidul Democrat-Liberal / PDL / Democratic Liberal Party Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség • Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România / RMDSZ • UDMR / Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania Partidul Naţional Ţărănesc Creştin Democrat / PNŢCD / Christian Democratic National Peasant’s Party

epp.eu/pdl-ro epp.eu/rmdsz

SK

Kresťanskodemokratické hnutie / KDH / Christian Democratic Movement Slovenská demokratická a kresťanská únia – Demokratická strana / SDKÚ-DS / Slovakian Christian Democratic Union – Democratic Party Magyar Közösség Pártja • Strana maďarskej komunity / MKP • SMK / Party of the Hungarian Community

epp.eu/pdl-it epp.eu/udc epp.eu/udeur epp.eu/svp

epp.eu/vienotiba

epp.eu/tslkd

epp.eu/csv

epp.eu/pn

epp.eu/cda

epp.eu/po epp.eu/psl

epp.eu/pntcd epp.eu/kdh epp.eu/sdku epp.eu/mkp

epp.eu/sds epp.eu/sls epp.eu/nsi

SI

Slovenska demokratska stranka / SDS / Slovenian Democratic Party Slovenska ljudska stranka / SLS / Slovenian People’s Party Nova Slovenija – krščanska ljudska stranka / N.Si / New Slovenia - Christian People’s Party

ES

Partido Popular / PP / People’s Party Unió Democràtica de Catalunya • Unión Democrática de Cataluña / UDC / Democratic Union of Catalunya

epp.eu/pp epp.eu/unio

SE

Moderata samlingspartiet / MOD - Moderaterna / Moderate Coalition Party Kristdemokraterna / KD / Christian Democrats

epp.eu/moderaterna epp.eu/kristdemokraterna


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

Non-EU countries +

Associate members ° Observer members AL

Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë° / PD - DP / Democratic Party of Albania

AM

• Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun° / HHK / Republican Party of Armenia • Orinats Erkir° / OEK / Rule of Law • Zharangutyun° / Heritage

BY

MK

epp.eu/hhk epp.eu/oek epp.eu/zharangutyun

Партыя БНФ • Partyja BNF° / ПБНФ • PBNF / BPF Party

epp.eu/bnf

Аб’ядна́ная грамадзя́нская па́ртыя Белару́сі • Abjadnanaja hramadzianskaja partyja Biełarusi°

epp.eu/ahp

BPF stands for Belarusian People’s Front. It was forced to change its name after a ban by the Lukashenko dictatorship.

/ АГП • AHP / United Civic Party of Belarus

BA

epp.eu/pd

Stranka Demokratske Akcije° / SDA / Party of Democratic Action Hrvatska demokratska zajednica Bosne i Hercegovine° / HDZ BiH / Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina Партија демократског прогреса • Partija demokratskog progresa° / ПДП • PDP / Party of Democratic Progress

Внатрешна македонска револуционерна организација – Демократска партија за македонско национално единство • Vnatrešna makedonska revolucionerna organizacija –

Demokratska partija za makedonsko nacionalno edinstvo+ / ВМРО-ДПМНЕ • VMRO-DPMNE / Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity

epp.eu/sda epp.eu/hdzbih epp.eu/pdp

epp.eu/vmrodpmne

GE

ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა • Ertiani Natsionaluri Modzraoba° / ენმ • ENM - UNM / United National Movement

MD

Partidul Liberal Democrat din Moldova° / PLDM / Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova

NO

Høyre+ / H / Conservative Party Kristelig Folkeparti° / KrF / Christian Democratic People’s Party

SM

Partito Democratico Cristiano Sammarinese° / PDCS / Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party

RS

G17 Plus+ / G17+ Vajdasági Magyar Szövetség° • Савез војвођанских Мађара • Savez vojvođanskih Mađara / VMSZ • CBM • SVM / Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians

CH

Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei • Parti démocrate-chrétien • Partito popolare democratico+ / CVP • PDC • PPD / Christian Democratic People’s Party

epp.eu/cvp

TR

Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi° / AKP / Justice and Development Party

epp.eu/akp

UA

Всеукраїнське об’єднання “Батьківщина” • Vseukrayins’ke Obyednannya Bat’kivshchyna° / Batkivschyna / All Ukrainian Union “Fatherland” Народний Рух України • Narodnyi Rukh Ukrajiny° / Рух • Rukh / People’s Movement of Ukraine

KOSOVO*

Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës° / LDK / Democratic League of Kosovo

* The EPP does not have a position on the legal status of Kosovo.

epp.eu/enm

epp.eu/pldm epp.eu/hoyre epp.eu/krf epp.eu/pdcs

epp.eu/g17plus epp.eu/vmsz

epp.eu/batkivschyna epp.eu/rukh epp.eu/ldk


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

EPP in Europe

EU Country with EPP-led government EU Country Non-EU Country with EPP-led government Non-EU Country

REYKJAVIK ICELAND

FINLAND

SWEDEN

NORWAY OSLO

HELSINKI TALLINN ESTONIA

STOCKHOLM

DENMARK COPENHAGEN

DUBLIN IRELAND UNITED KINGDOM LONDON

LITHUANIA VILNIUS

NETHERLANDS AMSTERDAM

MINSK BELARUS BERLIN GERMANY

WARSAW POLAND

BRUSSELS BELGIUM LUXEMBOURG PARIS FRANCE

BERN SWITZERLAND

LISBON PORTUGAL

MADRID SPAIN

MONACO

KIEV UKRAINE

PRAGUE CZECH REP. SLOVAKIA BRATISLAVA VIENNA AUSTRIA BUDAPEST LJUBLJANA HUNGARY SLOVENIA

SAN MARINO ROME ITALY

SARAJEVO BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA PODGORICA MONTENEGRO

MOLDOVA CHISINAU

ROMANIA BUCHAREST

ZAGREB CROATIA ANDORRA

RUSSIA MOSCOW

RIGA LATVIA

BELGRADE SERBIA KOSOVO* PRISTINA

TIRANA ALBANIA

TBILISSI GEORGIA YEREVAN ARMENIA

SOFIA BULGARIA

SKOPJE F.Y.R.O.M ANKARA TURKEY GREECE ATHENS

VALLETTA MALTA

NICOSIA CYPRUS

Not visible on this Map: Guadaloupe (F) / Guayana (F) / Martinique (F) / Réunion (F) / Curaçao (NL) / Bonaire (NL) / Sint Maarten (NL) / Azores (P).


ANNUAL REVIEW 2012

European People’s Party 10, rue du commerce B-1000 Brussels

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