The European Parliament’s committee on agriculture and rural development (AGRI) has elected Veronika Vrecionová as the new committee chair.
Vrecionová, who is from the Czech Republic, is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR Party).
The chair presides over agriculture committee and coordinators’ meetings, represents the committee both within and outside the European Parliament and presides legislative negotiations led by the committee.
Furthermore, the chair has authority over voting procedures and rules on the admissibility of amendments.
The vote on the AGRI committee bureau took place today (Tuesday, July 23) by secret electronic vote and Vrecionová was elected by 31 votes in favour, eight against, and ten abstentions.
Vrecionová said: “We are starting a new parliamentary term, I am very pleased with the confidence that colleagues gave to me and I’m looking forward for constructive debates.
“I will work hard for better conditions for family farmers and small and medium farmers.
“We must listen to them; we have to massively reduce red tape and the whole common agricultural policy has to reflect the fact that we have started accession dialogue with Ukraine.”
Vrecionová also gave a commitment to “focus on animal welfare”.
Daniel Buda (The European People’s Party (EPP), Romania) was elected as the first vice-chair by 33 votes in favour, nine against, and five abstentions.
Norbert Lins (EPP, Germany) was elected as the second vice-chair by 36 votes in favour (and was thus elected by absolute majority of the votes cast against Mireia Borrás Pabón (Patriots for Europe (PfE), Spain) who received ten votes in favour).
Eric Sargiacomo (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, France) was elected as the third vice-chair by 39 votes in favour, three against, without abstentions. The fourth vice-chair will be elected at a forthcoming meeting.
The agriculture committee chair and vice-chairs form the bureau, which is responsible for their respective committee’s smooth functioning. The committee bureau holds office for two and a half years (half of the legislature).
During its constitutive meeting today, the committee on the environment, public health and food safety elected Antonio Decaro (S&D, Italy) as its chair, alongside its four vice-chairs.
Members elected the following leadership, which constitutes the committee’s bureau, for a two-and-a-half year mandate.
- Chair: Antonio Decaro (S&D, Italy) – by acclamation;
- First vice-chair: Esther Herranz García (EPP, Spain) – by acclamation;
- Second vice-chair: Pietro Fiocchi (ECR, Italy) – elected by secret ballot with 52 votes in favour, 25 against, 12 abstentions;
- Third vice-chair: Anja Hazekamp (The Left, Netherlands) – by acclamation;
- Fourth vice-chair: András Tivadar Kulja (EPP, Hungary) – elected by secret ballot with 64 votes in favour – while Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE, Spain) received 24 votes in favour.
The first ordinary meeting of the committee after the summer break is planned for September 4.