Committees

 

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development - AGRI

 

Since 1999 I have been a member of the Committee on Agriculture in the European Parliament. This committee is responsible for the following issues:

 

The operation and development of the common agricultural policy, rural development, including the activities of the relevant financial instruments;

 

The legislation on veterinary and plant-health matters, animal feedingstuffs provided such measures are not intended to offer protection from risks to human health, animal husbandry and welfare;

 

The improvement of the quality of agricultural products, supplies of agricultural raw materials, the Community Plant Variety Office and forestry.

 

You will find further information as well as the state of play of the current CAP reform after 2013 under this link.

 

For more information about the functioning of the committee, the meetings and the streaming of the conferences please click here.

 

Subcommittee on Human Rights - DROI

 

Apart from my work on agriculture, I am also a member of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI) which is a part of the Committee for Foreign Affairs (AFET). The subcommittee for Human Rights treats issues concerning human rights, the protection of minorities and the promotion of democratic values in third countries.

The subjects dealt with are often cross-section topics that also concern the work of other committees of the Parliament as well as the activities of international organizations and non-governmental organizations (i.e. UNO, OSCE, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House). Therefore we regularly host panel discussions with experts from external institutions to get a comprehensive oversight.

 

For additional information about the work of the subcommittee please go here.

 

Committee on Foreign Affairs - AFET

 

Moreover, I am a substitute member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs since 2009The committee on Foreign Affairs is responsible for:

 

The common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the European security and defence policy (ESDP). In this context the committee is assisted by a Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE);

Relations with other EU institutions and bodies, the UNO and other international organisations and interparliamentary assemblies for matters falling under its responsibility;

 

The strengthening of political relations with third countries, particularly those in the immediate vicinity of the Union, by means of major cooperation and assistance programmes or international agreements such as association and partnership agreements;

 

The opening, monitoring and concluding of negotiations concerning the accession of European States to the Union;

 

Issues concerning human rights, the protection of minorities and the promotion of democratic values in third countries.

In this context the committee is assisted by a Subcommittee on Human Rights. Without prejudice to the relevant rules, members from other committees and bodies with responsibilities in this field shall be invited to attend the meetings of the subcommittee.

The committee coordinates the work of joint parliamentary committees and parliamentary cooperation committees as well as that of the interparliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations and election observation missions falling within its remit.

 

Please find here an overview over the work of the committee.

 

Delegations

 

Delegation for relations with Canada

 

As the vice president of this delegation I have close contact with Canadian Parliamentarians.

 

Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia

 

I am a substitute member of the Delegation to the states of Central Asia and to Mongolia.

 

The work in the delegations brings together Members of the European Parliament with representatives from the Parliaments and Governments of the respective countries.

In an exchange of views we discuss developments and challenges mainly in the fields of politics, environment, economy, culture and education. From a distance this works by an exchange of letters and phone calls. At times there are respective visits that consist of meetings of several day's duration in Brussels or in the target region.

 

Delegation for relatations with Australia and New Zealand

I am a substitute member in this delegation.

 

 

 

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