Page 79 - BIPAR Annual Report 2020_EN short
P. 79
New European Parliament Next EU Presidencies
Following the European elections that took place in May The Members of the EP (MEPs) elected David Sassoli The Presidency of the Council of the European Union responsible for driving forward the Council’s work on
2019, a new European Parliament (EP) was formed. The (S&D, IT) as the President of the Parliament on 3 July 2019. (EU), also known as the Presidency of the EU, is taken in EU legislation, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda,
Parliament held its constituent session on 2 July 2019. The They also elected the the 14 Vice-Presidents and the five turn for a period of six months by each of the 28 Mem- orderly legislative processes and cooperation among
political groups in the Parliament are the following: Quaestors of the House and decided on the number and ber States of the EU. The order of rotation is determined Member States. It plans and chairs meetings in the Coun-
composition of Parliament’s standing committees. The unanimously by the Council of the EU. The change of cil and of the Council’s preparatory bodies and working
• EPP - Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Parliament currently has 20 committees and two subcom- Presidency takes place parties and committees
Democrats – 182 seats) mittees. The following Committees are of particular rel- on 1st January and 1st dealing with very specific
evance to BIPAR and its members: July of each year. subjects. The Presidency
• S&D - Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists Presidencies of the Council up to 2030 represents the Council in
and Democrats in the European Parliament (154 • ECON – Economic and Monetary Affairs For efficiency’s sake, relations with the other
seats) the rotating Presiden- EU institutions, particular-
• IMCO – Internal Market and Consumer Protection cies are grouped by Croatia January-June 2020 ly with the European Com-
• ECR - European Conservatives and Reformists Group three (called “trios”) to Germany July-December 2020 mission and the European
(62 seats) • JURI – Legal Affairs define their priorities. Portugal January-June 2021 Parliament. Its role is to
They set long-term try and reach agreement
• Renew Europe - Renew Europe group (Liberals - 108 goals and prepare a Slovenia July-December 2021 on legislative files through
seats) Following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on 1 Feb- common agenda of France January-June 2022 trilogues, informal nego-
ruary 2020, the Parliament’s composition changed from topics to be addressed tiation meetings and Con-
• GUE/NGL - Confederal Group of the European United 751 MEPs to 705 MEPs. Of the UK’s 73 seats, 27 have by the Council over an Czech Republic July-December 2022 ciliation Committee meet-
Left - Nordic Green Left (41 seats) been redistributed to Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, 18-month period. On Sweden January-June 2023 ings.
Romania, Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Slova- the basis of this pro-
• Greens/EFA - Group of the Greens/European Free kia, Finland, Croatia, Estonia, while the remaining 46 were gramme, each of the Spain July-December 2023
Alliance (74 seats) kept in reserve for potential future enlargements. three countries pre- Belgium January-June 2024
pares its own more Hungary July-December 2024
• ID - Identity and Democracy (73 seats) detailed 6-month pro-
gramme. Poland January-June 2025
• NI - Non-attached Members (57 seats) Denmaek July-December 2025
The Council is now pre-
sided over by Croatia, Cyprus January-June 2026
and the current trio is Ireland July-December 2026
made up of the Presi-
dencies of Croatia, Ger- Lithuania January-June 2027
many and Portugal. Greece July-December 2027
Italy January-June 2028
Latvia July-December 2028
Luxembourg January-June 2029
The Presidency is Netherlands July-December 2029
Slovakia January-June 2030
Malta July-December 2030
78 79