The EPP Group in The European Parliament

EPP Group Structure and Organisation
October 2012

Lada Jurica
October 2012
EPP Group Press and Communications Service

October 2012
What is the EPP Group?
Founded on 23 June 1953 as the Group of Christian Democrats
in the Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community July 1979 EPP Group July 1999 EPP-ED Group July 2009 Group of the European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) The EPP Group belongs to the wider family of the European Peoples Party, reuniting centre and centre-right parties in Europe

October 2012
EU Integration Leaders
Founding Fathers Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer, Alcide de Gasperi Idea of closer cooperation to prevent any future wars European Community as a peace project Two revolutionary political models: supranational institutions and the European Social Model Reunification of the fragmented Continent Against any form of totalitarianism The EPP developed from a classical Christian Democrat family into a centre-right family in a wider sense
EPP Group Press and Communications Service 3

October 2012
The most numerous and the most influential
73 parties from 40 EU and non-EU countries currently
belong to the EPP family The EPP Group has been the strongest political Group in the European Parliament since 1999 13 European Commissioners, as well as the President of the European Commission Jos Manuel Barroso, come from the EPP 16 Heads of State and Government currently stem from the EPP ranks as well as the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy

October 2012
Difference between the Party and the Group

European Peoples Party (EPP) Umbrella organisation, network of parties Core business: coordination, facilitating cooperation Member parties also originate from non-EU countries Organisation of summits and ministerial meetings EPP Group Political group Core business: legislative work, other parliamentary activities Members only from the EU Whip system independent from the Party

October 2012
and their interconnection

EPP Party President Wilfried Martens was the EPP Groups Chairman
for many years The President and the Secretary-General of the EPP Party, if they are Members of the European Parliament, are automatically also Members of the EPP Group Bureau (Antonio Lpez-Istriz) of the EPP Party Presidency Three Members of the European Parliament are Members of the EPP Party Presidency (Corien Wortmann-Kool, Mrio David, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski)
EPP Group Chairman Joseph Daul is, due to his function, also a Member
Electoral Congress held in Bucharest in October 2012 Members elected to the European Parliament on the lists of the member
parties of the European People's Party are automatically Members of the EPP Group individual Members subscribe to the political programme

October 2012
Main political forces in the European Parliament

October 2012
Why is the number of Members important?
Chairmen of 10 out of 22 parliamentary committees

and subcommittees
7 out of 14 Vice-Presidents of the Parliament 2 out of 5 Quaestors, in charge of administrative

and financial matters directly concerning Members
EPP Group Members most frequently become Rapporteurs

for legislative and non-legislative proposals

October 2012
Membership in the Parliamentary Committees
Committee numbers and competences are determined

at the beginning of each legislature
Every committee, as well as other parliamentary bodies, has to

reflect the proportional relation between the political groups
Leading positions in the committees are distributed among

political groups using the dHondt method
Another important position, which is not a formal function

in the committees Group Coordinator

October 2012
EPP Group Structure
10

October 2012
EP
President Elected by majority of Members 2.5 yearly term administrative term External representation of the European Parliament Presidency Administrative term Adopts internal rules of the Parliament Proposes draft EP budget and decides on organisational, administrative and staff matters Conference of Presidents Organises the work of the Parliament Adopts the agenda of plenary sittings Plenary Assembly Highest body of the Parliament and its last instance Votes on legislation

October 2012
Calendar
The calendar is adopted by the plenary
The EU Founding Treaties require the

Parliament to hold 12 plenary sessions per year in Strasbourg
Mini plenary sessions in Brussels

were introduced afterwards
Organises weekly parliamentary work
12

October 2012
EPP Group Chairman

Joseph Daul MEP French, UMP Former long time Agriculture and Rural Development Committee Chair From July 2007 Elected at the beginning of each term External representation of the Group Leads the Group in the Conference of Presidents Leads the Group in plenary sittings
13

October 2012
EPP Group Presidency

Consists of the Group Chairman and ten Vice-Chairpersons Elected by the Group Plenary Assembly at the beginning
of each administrative term Chairs the Group and Working Group meetings, represents the Group in plenary sittings Adopts strategic political decisions and decisions concerning the Group Secretariat Every Vice-Chairperson has his or her own portfolio Once a month (in Strasbourg) meeting of the Presidency with the Heads of National Delegations separate body, discusses the topics of major importance
14

October 2012
EPP Group Presidency

Manfred Weber
WG Legal and Home Affairs, Conciliation
Marian-Jean Marinescu
WG Budget and Structural Policies
Jaime Mayor Oreja

EIN, Political Strategy
Jzsef Szjer
Parliamentary Work, Legislative Coordination
Jan Olbrycht
Treasurer, Intercultural Relations
Ioannis Kasoulides
WG Foreign Affairs
Paulo Rangel
Relations with National Parliaments, Communication Strategy
Corien Wortmann-Kool
WG Economy and Environment
Vito Bonsignore
Union for the Mediterranean, Euromed
Gunnar Hkmark
Neighbourhood Policy and Euronest
15

October 2012
EPP Group Bureau

Consists of
the Members of the Presidency the Heads of National Delegations and an additional Member for every ten
Members the Members of the European Parliament Bureau belonging to the Group the Chairperson of Standing Committees belonging to the Group the Coordinator within each of the Standing Committees; the President and the Secretary-General of the European People's Party, if they are Members of the European Parliament
The Bureau adopts procedural and financial rules of the Group, prepares strategic political decisions and discusses the agenda of the plenary from the perspective of national delegations
External Bureau meetings


October 2012
EPP Group Plenary Assembly

Meets once in Group weeks (on Wednesday morning), once immediately
prior to the mini-plenary (on Wednesday morning) and three times in plenary session weeks in Strasbourg (Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Wednesday evening)
Decides on political positions and voting strategy of the Group
Decides on important political matters on a proposal by the Presidency

Adopts the Group budget, elects the Group Presidency and decides
on formation of working groups
17

October 2012
EPP Group Standing Working Groups

4 Standing Working Groups Committees grouped on the basis of closeness WG Economy and Environment WG Foreign Affairs WG Legal and Home Affairs WG Budget and Structural Policies
One of the Group Vice-Chairpersons is in charge

of every Working Group
Meet on Tuesdays in Group weeks and provide a place for

conciliation of differences in position between Members and/or Committees

October 2012
How are laws adopted I

EP Conference of Presidents decides which Committee deals
with the legislative proposal
The Committee attributes the proposal to a political group

according to a complex rotation system
The political group appoints a Rapporteur for the proposal

among its Committee Members Committee Chair reads new Rapporteur names and this is included in the minutes
The Rapporteur than assumes responsibility for the proposal

on behalf of the European Parliament
19

October 2012
How are laws adopted II

The proposal is discussed in the Committee whip system
among the EPP Group Members is performed by the Coordinator
Committee vote on the proposal all EPP Group Members

receive the so-called voting list
Plenary assembly vote of the European Parliament all EPP Group

Members receive the so-called voting list
A law adopted by the Parliament is then signed by the EP President,

published in the Official Journal of the EU and enters into force
20

October 2012
How are laws adopted III

A proposal can be discussed at any moment at the Working Group
and at the Group meeting
Whip system on the level of the Working Group is performed

by the Group Vice-Chairperson in charge of that Working Group
Whip system on the level of the Group is performed by the Group

Vice-Chairperson in charge of legislative coordination
Working Group serves as a filter Important whip system carried out by the Group,
not by the national delegations
21

October 2012
Right to speak
In Committee meetings Rapporteur, Shadow Rapporteurs, Coordinators Other Members who want to take part in the discussion In plenary sessions Time is limited Political groups compose lists of speakers Members who dont take part in the discussion in the Working Group or Group meeting will rarely be given the opportunity to speak in the plenary
22

October 2012
Secretariat
Around 250 employees with the mission to assist Members
Secretary-General Martin Kamp Three largest categories of staff: Also:
Chairmans Office Office for relations with the EP bodies Offices for relations with national parliaments, religious communities
Policy Advisors Press Officers Internal organisation
The Secretariat follows the organisation of the Parliament but

also the structure of the Group Presidency
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October 2012
24

October 2012
EPP Group Environment

The Group works in a densely interlinked environment where contacts and cooperation are very important.
The staff has to work with: EPP Group structures MEPs offices Secretariat of the European Parliament Other political groups Other Institutions Lobbyists Accredited journalists and media representatives
25

October 2012
Summary
EPP Group centre and centre-right of the political spectre;
the largest political group in the European Parliament
Complex structure Presidency provides political leadership,

Working Groups act as legislative filters, Group Assembly has final say on Group voting behaviour
The Group Secretariat assists Members
26

October 2012
Thank you!
27

October 2012
www.facebook.com/eppgroup www.twitter.com/eppgroup
28

The EPP Group in The European Parliament

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The EPP Group in The European Parliament

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EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

What is the EPP Group?

Founded on 23 June 1953 as the Group of Christian Democrats

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

The most numerous and the most influential

73 parties from 40 EU and non-EU countries currently

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

Difference between the Party and the Group

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

and their interconnection

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

Main political forces in the European Parliament

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

Why is the number of Members important?

Chairmen of 10 out of 22 parliamentary committees

7 out of 14 Vice-Presidents of the Parliament 2 out of 5 Quaestors, in charge of administrative

EPP Group Members most frequently become Rapporteurs

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

Membership in the Parliamentary Committees

Committee numbers and competences are determined

Every committee, as well as other parliamentary bodies, has to

Leading positions in the committees are distributed among

Another important position, which is not a formal function

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Structure

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

The EU Founding Treaties require the

Mini plenary sessions in Brussels

Organises weekly parliamentary work

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Chairman

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Presidency

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Presidency

Jaime Mayor Oreja

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Bureau

External Bureau meetings

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Plenary Assembly

Decides on political positions and voting strategy of the Group

Decides on important political matters on a proposal by the Presidency

EPP Group Press and Communications Service

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

EPP Group Standing Working Groups

One of the Group Vice-Chairpersons is in charge

Meet on Tuesdays in Group weeks and provide a place for

EPP Group Structure and Organisation

How are laws adopted I

The Committee attributes the proposal to a political group