2012

34

27158

85

30

52

190

34

The PresidencyGroup's structure

Joseph Daul Chairman Jan Olbrycht

Vice-Chairman Treasurer InterculturalRelations

József Szájer Vice-Chairman ParliamentaryWork

Manfred Weber Vice-Chairman WorkingGroup

'LegalandHomeAffairs' Conciliations

Paulo Rangel Vice-Chairman RelationswithNational

Parliaments CommunicationStrategy

Marian-Jean Marinescu Vice-Chairman WorkingGroup

"BudgetandStructuralPolicies"

T H E B U R E A U The Bureau, the Group's political organ, consists of: > The Presidency> The Heads of National Delegations> The Vice-Presidents and Quaestors of the European Parliament

belongingtotheGroup> The Chairmen of Parliamentary Committees> The Coordinators in the Parliamentary Committees>TheChairmanandthe Secretary-General of the European

People's Party,iftheyareMembersoftheEuropeanParliament> One co-opted Memberforevery10Membersofanationaldelegation

THE CHAIRMEN OF THE FOUR WORKING GROUPSTheEPPGroup'spoliticalstrategyisformulatedintheframeworkoffourWorking Groups which coordinate its members' parliamentary work inthe22committeesorsubcommittees.Their conclusions are made known to the Group, which then decideswhatpositiontoadoptinplenarysessionsoftheEuropeanParliament.Below, in detail, are the areas of responsibility of the Working Groups and of their respective Chairmen.

Ioannis KasoulidesWorking Group "Foreign Affairs" >CommitteeonForeignAffairs>SubcommitteeonHumanRights>SubcommitteeonSecurityandDefence>CommitteeonDevelopment>CommitteeonInternationalTrade

Marian-Jean MarinescuWorking Group "Budget and Structural Policies" >CommitteeonBudgets>CommitteeonBudgetaryControl>CommitteeonRegionalDevelopment>CommitteeonAgricultureandRuralDevelopment>CommitteeonFisheries

Corien Wortmann-KoolWorking Group "Economy and Environment" >CommitteeonEconomicandMonetaryAffairs>CommitteeonEmploymentandSocialAffairs>CommitteeontheEnvironment,PublicHealthandFoodSafety>CommitteeonIndustry,ResearchandEnergy>CommitteeonInternalMarketandConsumerProtection>CommitteeonTransportandTourism

Manfred WeberWorking Group "Legal and Home Affairs" >CommitteeonCultureandEducation>CommitteeonLegalAffairs>CommitteeonCivilLiberties,JusticeandHomeAffairs>CommitteeonConstitutionalAffairs>CommitteeonWomen'sRightsandGenderEquality>CommitteeonPetitions

Founded as the Christian Democrat Democratic Group on 23 June1953 as a fraction in the Common Assembly of the European CoalandSteelCommunity,theGroupchangeditsnametothe'Groupofthe European People's Party' (Christian-Democratic Group) in July1979, justafterthefirstdirectelectionstotheEuropeanParliament,andto'GroupoftheEuropeanPeople'sParty(ChristianDemocrats)andEuropeanDemocrats'inJuly1999.AftertheEuropeanelectionsin 2009, the Group went back to its roots as the 'Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats)'.IthasalwaysplayedaleadingroleintheconstructionofEurope.TheChairmanoftheEPPGroupisJoseph DaulMEP.HechairsitsgoverningbodiesandspeaksfortheGroupinkeynotedebatesintheEuropean Parliament. He is supported by coordinators on each oftheParliament'scommitteesandbyheadsofthenationaldelegationsrepresented in the Group. The operational needs of the Group areserviced by a Group secretariat, providing policy and organisationalsupport. The Group runs its own think-tank - the European IdeasNetwork-whichbringstogetheropinion-formersfromtheworldsofpolitics,business,academiaandcivicsocietyacrossEurope,todiscussthemajorpolicyissuesfacingtheEuropeanUnion.

D E S C R I P T I O NWith 271 members and 3 Observers from Croatia the EPP Group is by far the largest political Group in the European Parliament. Its membership is made up of:42 Membersfrom Germany 35 Membersfrom Italy 30 Membersfrom France 29 Membersfrom Poland 25 Membersfrom Spain 14 Membersfrom Hungary 14 Membersfrom Romania 10 Membersfrom Portugal 7 Membersfrom Greece 7 Membersfrom Bulgaria 6 Membersfrom Austria 6 Membersfrom Slovakia 5 Membersfrom Belgium 5 Membersfrom Netherlands 5 Membersfrom Sweden 4 Membersfrom Ireland 4 Membersfrom Lithuania 4 Membersfrom Finland 4 Membersfrom Latvia 4 Membersfrom Slovenia 3 Membersfrom Luxembourg 2 Membersfrom Czech Republic 2 Membersfrom Cyprus 2 Membersfrom Malta 1 Memberfrom Denmark 1 Memberfrom Estonia

EPP:GroupoftheEuropeanPeople'sParty(ChristianDemocrats)

S&D:GroupoftheProgressiveAllianceofSocialistsandDemocratsintheEuropeanParliament

ALDE:GroupoftheAllianceofLiberalsandDemocratsforEurope

GREENS/EFA:GroupoftheGreens/EuropeanFreeAlliance

ECR:EuropeanConservativesandReformistsGroup

GUE/NGL:ConfederalGroupoftheEuropeanUnitedLeft-NordicGreenLeft

EFD:EuropeofFreedomandDemocracyGroup

NI:Non-attached

Salondel’Horloge,PalaisduQuaid’Orsay,Paris

09.05.1950AlcideDeGasperi

andKonradAdenauer KonradAdenauerWinstonChurchill

andRobertSchumanJeanMonnet

andRobertSchuman

How we workAs the largest political Group in a Parliament where non-socialistparties now enjoy a clear majority, the EPP Group is in a strongerposition than any other to set that body's political agenda andto win its most critical votes. This strength is reflected in the factthat, since 1999, the EPP Group has been on the winning sideof more votes than any other group in the European Parliament'smonthlyplenarysessions.Strength of numbers also ensures that EPP Group Membershold a range of key positions within the Parliament - 7 of itsVice-Presidencies, Chairmanships of 10 of the EP's 22 committeesor subcommittees, and 2 of its 5 Quaestorships. Within theparliamentary committees, EPP Group Members are best placedto secure the right to author the EP's position on key pieces ofdraftlegislationandothermajorreports:theGroupgetsmoreofthese"rapporteurships"onmoreimportantsubjects,thananyotherGroup.The task of the European Parliament, which is elected every fiveyears by direct universal suffrage, lies in exercising democraticcontrol over the decision-making process in the European UniononbehalfofEurope'scitizens.Composition: there are 754 Members of the European Parliament,representingcloseto500millionEuropeans.

EPP Group:The major political forcein the European Parliament

Published by:Publications Team

Press and Communications ServiceEPP Group in the European Parliament

Editor: Robert A. FitzhenryResponsible: Greet Gysen

Address:60, rue Wiertz,

1047 Brussels - Belgium

Internet: http://www.eppgroup.euE-mail: epp-publications@europarl.europa.eu

Vito Bonsignore Vice-Chairman MediterraneanUnion,

EUROMED

Gunnar Hökmark Vice-Chairman NeighbourhoodPolicy

andEURONEST

Jaime Mayor Oreja Vice-Chairman PoliticalStrategy EuropeanIdeasNetwork

E P P G R O u P

I n T H E E u R O P E A n PA R l I A M E n T

Ioannis Kasoulides Vice-Chairman WorkingGroup"ForeignAffairs"

Corien Wortmann-Kool Vice-Chairwoman WorkingGroup

"EconomyandEnvironment"

EPP Groupin the European Parl iament

EPP Groupin the European Parl iament

Our political positionThe Group of the European People’s Party (Christian-Democrats)brings together the political parties of the centre andcentre-right in almost all Member States of the EuropeanUnion.SinceitscreationinJune1953,ithasplayedakeyroleinallstagesofEuropeanintegrationfromtheoutsettothepresentday.A very large number of the parties which are representedin the EPP Group also belong to the European People’sParty,thefirstcross-borderpoliticalpartytobeconstitutedatEuropeanlevel.Allofthemarededicatedtotheobjectiveofachievingamorecompetitive and more democratic Europe in a social-marketeconomy,aEuropethatisclosertoitscitizens.As the largest and most influential Group in the EuropeanParliament,theEPPGroupexertsamajorinfluenceovertheParliament’spoliticalprogramme.The EPP Group has made the most of the growing politicalrolewhichtheEuropeanParliamenthascometoplayintheEuropeanUnion.

The European Parliament, which since the Treaty ofMaastricht (1993) has shared the power of codecision withtheCouncilofMinistersinmanyareasoflegislation,hasseentherangeandscopeofthelegislativeprocessexpandwitheachsuccessive Treaty (Amsterdam in 1999 and Nice in 2003).Currently, it isanequalpartner inthe legislativeprocessformore than two thirds of the policy issues with which theEuropeanUniondeals.With the Treaty of Lisbon, of which our Group was the main architect, the European Parliament has the power of codecision in all areas of European political life.

The Group of the European People’s Party (EPP Group) isthe most significant political force in the European Union,which is the direct descendant of the founding fathers ofEurope,Robert Schuman,Konrad AdenauerandAlcide De Gasperi.

By reaffirming their confidence in the EPP at the 2009European elections, the citizens of Europe have proved thatthevaluesandidealswhichitupholdsaremoremodernthanever.

www.eppgroup.eu

MEPsfromthefollowingnationalpoliticalpartiesbelongtotheEPPGroup:

© European Commission, 2011

THE EPP GROUP IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: EUROPE’S DRIVING FORCE

Parliament’s powers have increased appreciably since the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957 –even more so since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009. Parliamentlegislates, has the final say on the EU budget and monitors the European Commission and itsactivities.

The EPP Group is the largest political Group in the European Parliament with 271 MEPs. As such, it is in a stronger position than any other group to set Parliament’s political agendaandensurethatitsecuresamajoritywhenthemostcriticalissuesareputtothevote.

OuR PRIORITIES

The Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) combines centre and centre-right political forces from almost all of the Member States of the European Union.

The EPP Group campaigns for a strong Europe based on the principle of subsidiarity –ademocratic,transparentandefficientEurope.

MEPs in the EPP Group serve the people of Europe and uphold the values of solidarity,freedomandresponsibility.

They advocate the model of a social market economy and strive for a Europe that createsopportunity and wealth within a single market, one that is competitive at world levelandwhich,atthesametime,promotessocialcohesionandprosperityforall.

Theysupportthemaintenanceoflawandorderinallitsforms.Withregardtoglobalchallengeswith which we are confronted, they want to see the role of the EU strengthened as a globalplayerontheinternationalstage.

It is through moderation and dialogue that the members of the EPP Group are strivingto build a Europe that offers every citizen improved prospects for the future, a Europe thatisbetterforall.

EPP Groupin the European Parl iament

POLAND>PlatformaObywatelska>PolskieStronnictwo

Ludowe

SLOVENIA>Slovenskademokratska

stranka>NovaSlovenija-Krščanska

ljudskastranka

SLOVAKIA>Krest’anskodemokratickéhnutie>Slovenskádemokratickáakrest’anská

únia-Demokratickástrana>Stranamad’arskejkoalície-Magyar

KoalícióPártja

SUOMI>KansallinenKokoomus>Suomenkristillisdemokraatit

AUSTRIA>Österreichische

Volkspartei

ROMANIA>PartidulDemocrat-Liberal>UniuneaDemocrată

MaghiarădinRomânia

PORTUGAL>PartidoSocialDemocrata>PartidoPopular

SVERIGE>ModerataSamlingspartiet>Kristdemokraterna

BULGARIA>Гражданизаевропейскоразвитиена

България-CitizensforEuropeanDevelopmentofBulgaria(GERB)

>Съюзнадемократичнитесили-UnionoftheDemocraticForces(UDF)

>ДемократизасилнаБългария(ДСБ)-DemocratsforStrongBulgaria(DSB)

BELGIUM>Christen-Democratisch&Vlaams>CentreDémocrateHumaniste>ChristlichSozialePartei

IRELAND>FineGaelParty

FRANCE>UnionpourunMouvement

Populaire>NouveauCentre>LaGaucheModerne

SPAIN>PartidoPopular

ΕΛΛΑΔΑ - GREECE>ΝέαΔημοκρατία

HUNGARY>Fidesz-MagyarPolgáriSzövetség-

KeresztényDemokrataNéppárt

LUXEMBOURG>PartiChrétienSocial

Luxembourgeois

LITHUANIA>Tėvynėssąjunga-Lietuvos

krikščionysdemokratai

LATVIA>JaunaisLaiks>Pilsoniskāsavienība

ΚΥΠΡΟΣ - CYPRUS>ΔημοκρατικόςΣυναγερμός

ITALY>IlPopolodellaLibertà>UnionedeiDemocraticiCristiani

eDemocraticidiCentro>SüdtirolerVolkspartei

DENMARK>DetKonservativeFolkeparti

CZECH REPUBLIC>Křesťanskáademokratickáunie-

Československástranalidová

ESTONIA>IsamaajaResPublicaLiit

GERMANY>ChristlichDemokratische

UnionDeutschlands>Christlich-SozialeUnioninBayerne.V.

THE NETHERLANDS>ChristenDemocratisch

Appèl

MALTA>PartitNazzjonalista