EPP Annual Review 2013

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Believe in People

FOCUS! 2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS DUBLIN IRELAND EPP CONGRESS

EPP SUMMITS LIMASSOL BRUSSELS VIENNA

www.epp.eu


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Who we are

Welcome to the European People’s Party (EPP), the political family of the centre right. The EPP is committed to a strong Europe based on a federal model that relies on the principle of subsidiarity. Through the promotion of the social market economy, the EPP aspires to achieve a prosperous Europe.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Contents

02

Wilfried Martens 1936-2013

04 WELCOME to the EPP

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Decision-Making Bodies

34

Communication

20 FOCUS!

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2014 European Elections

36

Structure and Resources

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European Council - EPP Summit

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37

27

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Political Assembly Highlights

Summit Highlights

Committee of the Regions

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28

Heads of State and Government

13

Ministerial Meetings

16

European Commission

18

European Parliament

EuroNest / Council of Europe / OSCE / NATO

29

Working Groups / Fora

32

Foreign Affairs

18

Headquarters / Internship Programme

32

Member Associations

40

Centre for European Studies

42

Who is Who

44

Member Parties

47

Map of Europe

EPP Annual Review 2013

This publication is produced by the EPP Press and Communications Department. Date of issue February 2014 Editor in Chief Kostas SASMATZOGLOU Assistant Editor John LAGESON Design & Production www.blcreative.eu Printing Company Dereume Photos European People’s Party European Commission European Parliament Download this publication www.epp.eu Questions about this publication press@epp.eu

Printed with the financial support of the European Parliament.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Wilfried Martens 1936-2013 PRIME MINISTER OF BELGIUM

1979-1981, 1981-1992 PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PEOPLE’S PARTY

1990-2013

CHAIRMAN OF THE EPP GROUP IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

1994-1999

PRESIDENT OF THE CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES

2007-2013

Wilfried Martens devoted his entire life to politics: as student leader, youth activist, President of the Flemish Christian Democrats, Prime Minister of Belgium, President of the European People’s Party and European statesman.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 WILFRIED MARTENS

“Wilfried Martens was a man of strong convictions – European convictions. He was a man of character. He was a man with a high sense of duty. He was a real and great European. We will all miss him.” Herman VAN ROMPUY President of the European Council

“Europe has lost a man of strong convictions and solid values. He will always remain in our memories for having brought people together to forge consensus, both in his country and in Europe.” José Manuel BARROSO President of the European Commission

“I personally have lost a closely trusted, political friend. I can tell you we will do everything we can, in the spirit of Wilfried Martens, to continue his and our common political work in the European People’s Party and for our shared Europe.” Angela MERKEL Chancellor of Germany

“His entire life [...] Wilfried Martens committed himself to emancipating Flanders, in a reformed country, to European integration as a guarantee for peace and prosperity, and for the democratic and political anchoring of personalism from the North Sea to the Urals.” Yves LETERME Former Prime Minister of Belgium

“You were a great statesman. I am proud to have worked by your side for more than forty years. And grateful for the trust and the opportunities that you gave me. We will continue your work.” Jean-Luc DEHAENE Former Prime Minister of Belgium

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“WILFRIED MARTENS WAS A MAN OF VALUES AND DEEP CONVICTIONS”. Throughout his life, as a student leader, Prime Minister of Belgium, leader of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and President of the European People’s Party, Wilfried Martens faced countless daunting struggles. The strength of his convictions and his commitment to the values he held dear meant that he always, without exception, overcame them. This is reflected in the title he chose for his book: “I struggle, I overcome”. The EPP was his vocation. Over the course of 23 years, he worked tirelessly to promote and consolidate the EPP’s position as Europe’s strongest political party. He was a man who believed in dialogue. A conciliator. A mediator. He used these qualities, together with his deft political skills and good judgment, to strengthen and extend the EPP, geographically and ideologically, beyond its traditional base. He opened up the EPP to people’s parties, conservative and liberal parties, while reinforcing the programmatic basis which underpins the EPP’s core, Christian Democratic values. In the process, he made the European People’s Party Europe’s largest and most united political family. President Martens was a missionary for democracy. He was at the forefront of ensuring that those who had suffered under the tyranny of communist regimes would be welcomed as new partners in the European project. In later years, his travels took him further east, where he became a respected voice for justice, democracy and European values. He was a strong advocate for a federal Europe. He will also be remembered for his role in building a European political system and contributing to a European demos, where people gather to create a better future for all Europeans. This will be considered as his outstanding contribution to our great project. President Martens remained committed to promoting his steadfast conviction that “Europe is the solution” until the end of his life. As he takes his place in the pantheon of Europe’s founding fathers, it falls to those inspired by him to continue the work he dedicated his life to and build upon the positive legacy he leaves behind. Joseph DAUL President of the European People’s Party Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Welcome to the EPP

“WE ARE PROUD OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE EPP POLITICAL FAMILY OVER THE LAST YEAR AND WE ARE EXCITED AND ENERGISED FOR THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF 2014!”

ANTONIO LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ EPP SECRETARY GENERAL

JOSEPH DAUL EPP PRESIDENT


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 WELCOME TO THE EPP

Welcome to the European People’s Party (EPP), the political family of the centre right. The EPP’s roots run deep in the history and civilisation of Europe, having pioneered the European project from its inception. Tracing our roots to the European Union’s founding fathers - Robert SCHUMAN, Alcide DE GASPERI, and Konrad ADENAUER - the EPP is committed to a strong Europe based on a federal model that relies on the principle of subsidiarity. Founded in 1976, the EPP is a party of values based on the Christian view of mankind and the Christian Democratic concept of society. The EPP strives for a democratic, transparent and efficient Europe that is close to its citizens. Through the promotion of the social market economy, the EPP aspires to achieve a prosperous Europe. At the beginning of 2014, the EPP is by far the largest European-level party with 73 member parties from 39 countries, 12 EU and 5 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 European Commissioners, the largest Group in the European Parliament with 274 members, and the heads of two of the main EU institutions: the European Commission with José Manuel BARROSO and the European Council with Herman VAN ROMPUY. For the EPP, 2013 was a year marked by mourning and transition due to the passing of the late President Wilfried MARTENS. His passing brought the EPP family even closer together, and the legacy of Wilfried MARTENS will be a stronger and even more united EPP. 2013 was also an exciting and successful year for the EPP. We welcomed new EPP heads of state and government, Nicos ANASTASIADES, who was elected President of Cyprus in February, and Erna SOLBERG, who was elected Prime Minister of Norway in September. Moreover, Angela MERKEL was elected to a third term as Federal Chancellor of Germany following the sweeping victory of the CDU/CSU in the September federal elections.

The EPP also remained by far the most influential political force in all the EU institutions, where we worked tirelessly to put Europe back on the right track towards economic recovery, job creation and sustainable growth. We are pleased to see that these efforts are beginning to show positive results across Europe. In 2013, the EPP also began laying the groundwork for a truly historic, EU-wide campaign for the European elections, which will take place in May of 2014. Not only will all European-level political parties be able to campaign across the EU, but these will also be the first EU elections following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009, which calls for the European Council to take into account the results of the European elections when nominating the President of the European Commission. To this end, the EPP will host a major Congress in Dublin, Ireland on 6 and 7 March 2014, where we will select our candidate for Commission President and officially launch our EU-wide campaign for the May elections. Following the Dublin Congress, the candidate will spearhead the EPP’s campaign throughout the European Union and will support the national campaigns of our EU member parties. Moreover, our candidate will battle the candidates of the other European political parties, including in televised, head-to-head presidential debates. We are proud of the achievements of the EPP political family over the last year and we are excited and energised for the challenges and opportunities of 2014!

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

European Council - EPP Summit

“BEING IN THE UNION IS NOT ABOUT DISAPPEARING INTO A LARGER WHOLE; ON THE CONTRARY, OUR UNION FUNCTIONS AS A HAVEN FOR ALL OUR NATIONS, AS A SHELTER AGAINST THE FORCES OF A WIDER WORLD; A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITIES AND FREEDOMS UNRIVALLED IN THE WORLD, BUT ALSO A PLACE OF SECURITY FOR ALL.” HERMAN VAN ROMPUY PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 EUROPEAN COUNCIL - EPP SUMMIT

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EPP Summit meetings offer our leaders an informal and confidential setting to seek consensus within the EPP political family in an effort to tackle common problems and develop common positions at the European Council.

Prior to European Council meetings, EPP Heads of State and Government, party leaders in coalition governments and in opposition, the EPP Presidency, and the EPP presidents of the European institutions meet for the customary EPP Summit. The Statutory Summits are limited to the representatives of the Member States of the European Union, while the Enlarged Summits are also open to the leaders of non-EU countries. In the first half of 2013, Ireland held the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union under the leadership of Taoiseach Enda KENNY. Five Summit meetings were held in 2013 with Herman VAN ROMPUY, as President of the European Council, JosÊ Manuel BARROSO, as President of the European Commission and the EPP’s EU Heads of State and Government in attendance.

In 2013, the first Summit was chaired by EPP Vice President Peter HINTZE, the second and third by the late EPP President Wilfried MARTENS, and the final two by Joseph DAUL.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Summit Highlights

01 STATUTORY SUMMIT LIMASSOL, CYPRUS 11 JANUARY 2013

03 ENLARGED SUMMIT VIENNA, AUSTRIA 20 JUNE 2013

At the Statutory Summit in Limassol, EPP leaders showed their support for Nicos ANASTASIADES, President of EPP member party DISY, ahead of the Cypriot presidential elections. Taoiseach Enda KENNY discussed the theme “Stability, growth and jobs” in the context of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The EPP Heads of State and Government and opposition leaders also discussed the 2014 European elections, the timeline for the preparation of the campaign, the content of the EPP Manifesto and the profile of the EPP’s candidate for President of the European Commission. The participants at the Summit determined that the EPP’s candidate should have executive experience, a strong European spirit and previous campaign experience.

EPP President Wilfried MARTENS congratulated GERB (Bulgaria) President Boyko BORISSOV and HDZ (Croatia) President Tomislav KARAMARKO on winning the parliamentary and European elections, respectively, in their countries. He also congratulated Latvian Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS on his country’s candidacy for the eurozone. Moreover, the EPP leaders expressed in advance of the Austrian parliamentary elections their support for Austrian Vice Chancellor and ÖVP Chairman Michael SPINDELEGGER, who explained the proposals of the ÖVP in the election campaign. Furthermore the EPP leaders adopted a declaration on how to create jobs and growth in Europe ahead of the European Council meeting of the following week. The leaders also discussed the latest developments in the negotiations of the new Multiannual Financial Framework while also considering a paper by YEPP, the youth branch of the EPP, on youth unemployment. Lastly, they set the date for the EPP’s election Congress in Dublin on 6 and 7 March 2014 and discussed the content of the EPP’s Action Programme for the European elections.

02 ENLARGED SUMMIT BRUSSELS, BELGIUM 14 MARCH 2013 The EPP leaders congratulated Nicos ANASTASIADES (Cyprus) and Serzh SARGSYAN (Armenia) on their (re)elections as President of their respective countries. The Presidents of the EU institutions also outlined the main points of the upcoming meeting of the European Council: the European Semester, financial problems in different Member States and the fight against youth unemployment. They also committed to advancing as fast as possible an agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework with the European Parliament. Moreover, the leaders addressed the difficult situation in Italy and the political consequences, while also agreeing on certain principles for the EPP’s upcoming campaign for the European elections. Recent developments in Georgia as well as the roadmap established by the EPP Presidency on Georgia were also discussed.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS

05 STATUTORY SUMMIT MEISE (BRUSSELS), BELGIUM 19 DECEMBER 2013

04 ENLARGED SUMMIT MEISE (BRUSSELS), BELGIUM 24 OCTOBER 2013 The EPP’s longest-serving Prime Minister, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, paid tribute to the late EPP President Wilfried MARTENS by highlighting the tremendous work he did for the EPP, his strong emphasis on values, his fight to unite the centre right and for building the EPP to become the largest European political party. A minute of silence in honour of President Wilfried MARTENS was observed. Other participants also expressed their respect and gratitude for the work of the late President. The EPP leaders then congratulated Angela MERKEL and Jean-Claude JUNCKER on winning the recent parliamentary elections in their countries. The discussion then shifted to the procedure for electing the new EPP President. The President of the European Council, Herman VAN ROMPUY, and of the European Commission, José Manuel BARROSO, highlighted the main points on the agenda of the European Council, with a strong focus on the digital single market. An extensive discussion followed on the situation in the different Eastern Partnership countries and the strategy ahead of the EPP’s Eastern Partnership Leaders’ Meeting in Vilnius.

At the final EPP Summit of the year, the newly elected EPP President Joseph DAUL presented a procedure to select the EPP’s candidate for President of the European Commission, which was approved by the EPP Heads of State and Government and opposition leaders. The conversation also focused on the upcoming meeting of the European Council, with the main topics being defence policy, the single resolution mechanism and foreign affairs, including the situation in Syria. Other points of emphasis included the political developments in Ukraine, the development of an EPP strategy to assist the Ukrainian people, an evaluation of the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius and Russia’s influence in the region.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Heads of State and Government As of February 2014, the EPP has 12 out of 28 EU Heads of State and Government who meet at the EPP Summits in preparation of the European Council meetings.

EU LEADERS

Nicos ANASTASIADES Cyprus, DISY

Traian BĂSESCU Romania

Enda KENNY Ireland, FG

Angela MERKEL Germany, CDU

Jyrki KATAINEN Finland, KOK

Viktor ORBÁN Hungary, FIDESZ

Pedro PASSOS COELHO Portugal, PSD

Fredrik REINFELDT Sweden, MOD

Antonis SAMARAS Greece, ND

Mariano RAJOY Spain, PP

Laimdota STRAUJUMA Latvia, Vienotība

Donald TUSK Poland, PO


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT

The EPP has 5 NON-EU Heads of State and Government, who are invited to attend the enlarged EPP Summits.

NON-EU LEADERS

Nikola GRUEVSKI Bakir IZETBEGOVIĆ lurie LEANCĂ F.Y.R.O.M., VMRO-DPMNE Bosnia-Herzegovina, SDA Moldova, PLDM

Serzh SARGSYAN Armenia, HHK

Erna SOLBERG Norway, Høyre

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

In 2013 the EPP held a total of five Summits, including in Limassol, Cyprus in January and in Vienna, Austria in June. The summits were attended by EPP Heads of State and Government, Deputy PMs, leaders of the opposition and the EPP Presidency.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Ministerial Meetings

01 FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTERS

03 GENERAL AFFAIRS MINISTERS

Chaired by Paulo PORTAS* (CDS-PP, Portugal) and Elmar BROK (CDU, Germany)

Chaired by Íñigo MÉNDEZ DE VIGO (PP, Spain) and Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO, Poland)

Throughout 2013, EPP Foreign Ministers worked successfully to prepare the Foreign Affairs Council and discussed key issues including the situations in Afghanistan, Syria, Mali and the Central African Republic. Other areas of focus included the EU response to the Arab Spring, the Middle East Peace process, reforms in the Western Balkans and developments in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries ahead of the EaP Vilnius Summit.

* Paulo PORTAS co-chaired the Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meetings until July 2013. Radosław SIKORSKI (PO-PL) is the current co-chair along with Elmar BROK.

The EPP General Affairs Ministerial Meeting gathers EPP Foreign and European Affairs Ministers in preparation of the General Affairs Council. Given that the preparation of the European Council is one of the main responsibilities of this Council configuration, the EPP General Affairs meeting is also an opportunity to prepare the EPP Summits held prior to the European Council. In 2013, the Ministers focused in particular on the negotiations of the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework. The European Commissioner for Budget and Financial Programming, Janusz LEWANDOWSKI (PO-PL), and leading EPP Members of the European Parliament were instrumental in this process. In the second half of 2013, the Ministers focused on the preparation of the European elections and key political messages for the election campaign. The Ministers also met with Wilhelm MOLTERER, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, in order to identify measures to improve financing in the European economy.

02 DEFENCE MINISTERS

04 ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS

EPP Foreign Ministers regularly adopted common positions and joint statements, for example on Mali, Ukraine and chemical weapons in Syria, among others. In addition, an exchange of views took place between EPP Ministers and Catherine ASHTON, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in order to discuss the European External Action Service review.

Chaired by Pieter DE CREM (CD&V, Belgium)

Chaired by Phil HOGAN (FG, Ireland) & Jorge MOREIRA DA SILVA (PSD, Portugal)

The EPP Defence Ministers convened on a regular basis in 2013 to discuss strategic issues related to the defence sector. Their main work in 2013 was the preparation of the December European Council, which was dedicated to discussing European defence. They also addressed key topics such as Common Security and Defence Policy operations, the pooling and sharing of military capabilities and NATO, among others.

In 2013 the Environment Ministers focused on the COP19 Climate Change Conference which took place in Warsaw, Poland in November, as well as the path towards the 2015 global climate agreement. The Ministers also discussed the reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme, the potential of biofuels to deliver greenhouse gas savings as well as future European climate and energy policy leading towards 2030.

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EPP Ministers at the General Affairs Ministerial Meeting.

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 MINISTERIAL MEETINGS

The European People’s Party organises and coordinates from its Brussels headquarters a total of 11 Ministerial meetings, which underpin the horizontal activity of the Party with all the main EU institutions including the Council of the EU.

05 ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINISTERS (ECOFIN) Chaired by Luc FRIEDEN* (CSV, Luxembourg) and Anders BORG (MOD, Sweden)

The meetings of the EPP Economy and Finance Ministers in 2013 continued to provide an opportunity for highly relevant discussions between Ministers from the EPP political family. These meetings played an instrumental role in many of the far-reaching economic and financial decisions reached by the ECOFIN Council and the Eurogroup. As their top priority, Ministers carefully monitored the economic and financial situation in Europe and took all necessary decisions to ensure the recoveries of Member States affected by the crisis. Moreover, the Ministers engaged in extensive dialogue with leading EPP Members of the European Parliament on economic and financial topics on which the Parliament and Council share in the decision-making process. The Ministers discussed the steps needed to achieve a fully fledged banking union in Europe, as well as concrete proposals for fighting tax evasion and fraud in the European Union. These projects were developed in close cooperation with the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, Michel BARNIER, and Algirdas ŠEMETA, the European Commissioner for Taxation. * Luc FRIEDEN co-chaired these Ministers’ Meetings during 2013. In January 2014, Luis DE GUINDOS (PP-ES) assumed the co-chairmanship, together with Anders BORG.

06 COMPETITIVENESS MINISTERS (INDUSTRY AND SINGLE MARKET) Chaired by Antonio TAJANI (PdL, Italy) and Richard BRUTON (FG, Ireland)

The EPP Competitiveness Ministerial Meetings in 2013 focused on the foundations for the return of sustainable economic growth and high-quality jobs for the people of Europe. The Ministers concentrated on structural reforms necessary to boost competitiveness and, under the guidance of co-chair Antonio TAJANI, European Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, they discussed the strategic importance of a future-oriented industrial base in Europe. In close cooperation with Michel BARNIER, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, the Ministers also focused on the completion of the Single Market, as well as smalland medium-sized enterprises and their access to finance.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 MINISTERIAL MEETINGS

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General Affairs Ministerial Meeting

07 EMPLOYMENT MINISTERS

09 JUSTICE MINISTERS

10 AGRICULTURE MINISTERS

Chaired by Ursula VON DER LEYEN (CDU, Germany)

Chaired by Viviane REDING (CSV, Luxembourg)

Chaired by Nikolaus BERLAKOVICH (ÖVP, Austria) and by Simon COVENEY (FG, Ireland)

The top priority of the EPP Employment Ministers over the course of 2013 was the creation of jobs and the improvement of the European labour market. Understanding the particularities of the labour market in each European country, exchanging best practices and proposing tailor-made solutions was high on the agenda. The Ministers also discussed concrete measures needed for companies to create high-quality, stable jobs. Youth employment was a particularly dominant topic and, in this respect, the Ministers discussed measures to encourage young entrepreneurs. Finally, the EPP Employment Ministers made proposals for the development of the social dimension of the Economic and Monetary Union, several of which materialised in formal Council decisions.

and Beatrice ASK* (MOD, Sweden)

The EPP was especially committed to the meetings of Justice Ministers during the Irish Presidency. Alan SHATTER (FG, Ireland) led the way towards closer cooperation on key issues affecting the citizens including the confiscation of criminal assets, procedural rights and access to lawyers for children and the underprivileged. Moreover, there was significant advancement on the data protection Regulation and Directive. Finally the EPP was pleased to be a key player in the Assises de la Justice, giving a clear overview of the EPP’s achievements and future projects on Justice. * Beatrice ASK co-chaired until September 2013.

08 HOME AFFAIRS MINISTERS Chaired by Hans-Peter FRIEDRICH (CSU, Germany) and Manfred WEBER, MEP (CSU, Germany)

The Home Affairs Ministers were particularly active during the Irish Presidency in order to deepen the debate among the co-legislators and to coordinate between the Council and the Commission together with the European Parliament. Fruitful talks took place on common issues such as Europol, Cepol, visa regularisations and the post-Stockholm process. One of the central topics of discussion was immigration, with the tragic events in Lampedusa featuring prominently.

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Participants of the Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting.

In 2013, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Dacian CIOLOŞ, actively participated in the discussions and contributed to the work of the EPP Agriculture Ministers. During the first half of the year Simon COVENEY successfully led the CAP negotiations on behalf of the Irish Presidency, enjoying the broad support of the EPP Ministers. Later in the year, the Ministers focused on the implementation of the CAP reform and milk quotas.

11 ENERGY MINISTERS Chaired by Günter OETTINGER (CDU, Germany) and Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO, Poland)

The February meeting of EPP Energy Ministers was attended by Natig ALIYEV, Industry and Energy Minister of Azerbaijan, and focused on the development of energy cooperation with that country. Ministers also discussed the NABUCCO pipeline. The agenda of the June meeting was dominated by concerns over high energy prices and the lack of competitiveness. Ministers stressed the necessity of a balanced climate and energy policy—an area in which the EPP can play an important role.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

European Commission

JOSÉ MANUEL BARROSO President of the European Commission - Portugal

“An ever closer union among the citizens of Europe demands that decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely to the people as possible. Not everything needs a solution at European level. Europe must focus on where it can add most value. Where this is not the case, it should not meddle. The EU needs to be big on big things and smaller on smaller things”.

VIVIANE REDING

ANTONIO TAJANI

MICHEL BARNIER

Vice President; Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship - Luxembourg

Vice President; Industry and Entrepreneurship - Italy

Internal Market and Services - France

“Our aim is to push for more investment and to remove uncertainties surrounding investments. We must invest in the early stages of adopting new technologies. Only then, will we take the technological lead and get a return on our investment. A return in terms of jobs and growth”.

“Member States have agreed to hand over the key supervisory tasks over their banks to the European Central Bank. This is the first step towards the Banking Union. This Single Supervisory Mechanism will be a great asset for financial stability in Europe”.

“Planning for a post-crisis Europe gives us the opportunity to develop our Union into a strong political union. To this end we need to be more united than ever and to have the citizens fully on board. We need to have the determination to roll up our sleeves and act”.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 EUROPEAN COMMISSION

TONIO BORG

DACIAN CIOLOȘ

KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA

Health - Malta

Agriculture & Rural Development - Romania

International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response - Bulgaria

“Policy makers must ensure structural support for research and innovation. If we want better outcomes of our healthcare systems, and if we want to ensure their sustainability, we need to encourage innovation of products, services and processes”.

“I have wanted to make “Young Farmers” central to the post-2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. And it is a subject to which I gave much attention. We must not stop half-way. It is a subject we must continue to deal with until the final adoption of the reform”.

JOHANNES HAHN

CONNIE HEDEGAARD

JANUSZ LEWANDOWSKI

Regional Policy - Austria

Climate Action - Denmark

Financial Programming and Budget - Poland

“To achieve the goals of Europe 2020 we need to nurture our small and medium sized enterprises, and foster innovation. Cities have a special potential for both. I believe firmly in the need for cities to take their place as European actors, partners in tackling European objectives”.

“The EU supports the principle of common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities. But it must never be an excuse for inaction. The climate change challenge can only be met if all contribute to the best of their abilities. Let us work together in bringing more big economies on board”.

“The EU has also done a lot of positive things. All in all we have a well-functioning internal market; we are making progress in the stabilisation and regulation of the financial sector and, last but not least, we are contributing to creating jobs in the EU through trade agreements or cohesion policy investment”.

GÜNTER OETTINGER

ANDRIS PIEBALGS

ALGIRDAS ŠEMETA

Energy - Germany

Development - Latvia

Taxation and Customs Unions, Audit and Anti-Fraud - Lithuania

“We are well on track to reach our target of a 20% share of renewable energy in final EU energy consumption by 2020. The European Union and its Member States have decided to put in place a reliable and stable regulatory framework setting strong mandatory targets for 2020 to secure investors’ trust”.

“The vision behind the European project was never an inward-looking one. It was about sharing European values and the all-important solidarity. Sharing them with the people of countries like my own and with the people living in countries in the developing world struggling to escape poverty and embrace development”.

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“We all know that no country is rich enough to keep on the payroll as many first responders as the most dramatic disaster may call for. This is why there is already a lot of experience in volunteering. I learned that if Europeans volunteers would form a country, they would be the largest Member State with 100 million people”.

‘‘I have presented the way forward for a stronger EU approach to tax evasion. Now it is up to the Member States to play their part. They must commit to deeper coordination, support the new tools proposed and unite in pushing our standards globally. The rewards on offer are great: billions of euros in revenue, and fair and competitive tax systems for recovery and growth”.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

European Parliament A more competitive, inclusive and sustainable social market economy in a Europe that is close to its citizens remains the primary objective. The EPP Group is determined to push forward the policies required to achieve that objective, resolute in the belief that more Europe is the answer. The 2013 parliamentary year, the last before the European elections due to be held in May 2014, can be viewed as a very successful one. In June the EPP Group in the European Parliament marked its 60th anniversary, having progressively asserted its position, power and political authority since its foundation as the Christian Democratic Group in 1953. This is reflected in the fact that since 1999 the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) has been Parliament’s largest political group. With 274 directly elected Members, the EPP Group is thus the most influential political force in the European Parliament. The profoundly important values of peace, democracy and freedom advocated by the European Union’s founding fathers – Robert SCHUMAN, Alcide DE GASPERI, and Konrad ADENAUER – have been inspirational as the EPP Group works on behalf of all citizens to ensure that the economic and financial crisis that has blighted our continent since 2008 will never again be repeated. To this end, the EPP Group, under the leadership of Chairman Joseph DAUL, MEP (UMP-FR), strives for a strong Europe based on the principle of subsidiarity. A more competitive, inclusive and sustainable social market economy in a Europe that is close to its citizens remains the primary objective.

The EPP Group is determined to push forward the policies required to achieve that objective, resolute in the belief that more Europe is the answer. The EPP Group was active throughout 2013 in pursuing policy responses to stabilise the euro, keep the eurozone together and manage the sovereign debt crisis. Notable successes include bankers’ bonus caps, stronger and accountable financial sector supervision and more accountable economic governance. To meet the challenges of the 21st century, further economic and monetary integration must be a priority. In consideration, the EPP Group has been at the centre in driving forward legislation to ensure the constitution of an EU-wide Banking Union that supervises and manages banks in trouble.

In tackling the unacceptably high youth unemployment rate across Europe, we have spearheaded legislative efforts centred on modernising higher education, enhancing opportunities for young people through the Erasmus Plus programme, and via the establishment of a Youth Guarantee programme. In July 2013 Croatia’s accession marked the European Union’s expansion to 28 Member States, in doing so fulfilling a long-standing demand of the EPP Group to foster Balkan reconciliation. Through the work of its inter-party delegations the EPP Group has intensified its international presence across the globe in 2013. Particularly events in the Middle-East and Asia have been on top of the international agenda, our Group continuing its pledge to foster and support regional democracy with the ultimate goal of creating lasting peace. Over the course of 2013, meetings of the EPP Group Bureau were convened in Athens, Dubrovnik, Dresden and Amsterdam with the aim of engaging political themes crucial at national level, thus feeding into the Group’s work in the European Parliament. Despite our achievements in 2013, much work remains to be done, in light of the May 2014 European elections, to ensure that our values and principles are implemented in all policy fields.

For more information please visit:

www.eppgroup.eu


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

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Decision-Making Bodies Within the EPP there are three levels of decision-making: the Presidency, Political Assembly and Congress. The EPP Heads of Government and EPP Ministers can also give policy recommendations, while the EPP Working Groups perform the preparatory political work.

The Political Assembly is composed of designated delegates from EPP member and associate member parties, member associations and groups. The number of delegates for each party is linked to the election result in the last European election so that parties are weighted according to their strength. This allows the taking of decisions by majority. The Political Assembly meets three to five times per year.

THE PRESIDENCY The Presidency decides on the general political guidelines and presides over the Political Assembly. The Presidency is composed of the President, the Secretary General, 10 Vice Presidents, and the Treasurer. The Presidents of the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (if they belong to the EPP), as well as the Chairman of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, are ex officio members of the EPP Presidency. THE POLITICAL ASSEMBLY The Political Assembly defines the positions of the Party between each Congress, decides on membership applications and finalises political guidelines. The Political Assembly also decides on the budget and safeguards the political presence of the EPP between Congress meetings.

THE CONGRESS The Congress is the highest decision-making body of the EPP. It is composed of delegates from EPP member and associate member parties, member associations and parliamentary groups, as well as representatives from observer member parties. The EPP Congress meets statutorily once every three years and elects the EPP Presidency. The Congress decides on the main policy documents and electoral programmes, and highlights EPP Heads of State and Government and party leaders. WORKING GROUPS The Political Assembly defines the mandate of the Working Groups, which prepare the Party’s policy documents and recommendations. All EPP member and associate member parties, member associations and groups, as well as members of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, are able to participate in the Working Groups.


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2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

The 2014 elections will be truly historic. Europeans will go to the polls not just to elect a new European Parliament, but also to express their choice for the next President of the European Commission. Let’s make history in 2014!


2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Believe in people

The Convention Centre Dublin - the venue for the EPP Congress.

dublin2014.epp.eu

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2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Dublin’s Fair City & Fine Gael await you “We in Fine Gael look forward very much to welcoming you in Dublin” Hosted by Fine Gael, the EPP’s 2014 European Elections Congress will be held in Dublin, Ireland on 6 and 7 March 2014 and will mark the start of our EU-wide campaign for the European elections of 22-25 May. The 2014 elections will be truly historic. Europeans will go to the polls not just to elect a new European Parliament, but also to express their choice for the next President of the European Commission. We hope you will join us in Dublin when we nominate our lead candidate and embark on the campaign trail.

This year’s European elections are crucially important for the future of the European Union. At this Congress, we will decide on our election manifesto and choose a presidential candidate that will lead the party’s EU-wide election campaign. This will also be a good opportunity for members of the EPP Family from across Europe to reconnect with each other. We in Fine Gael look forward very much to welcoming you to our magnificent Convention Centre in the historical and cultural city of Dublin. I hope you all have a very productive and enjoyable trip to Ireland.

Let’s make history in 2014!

Joseph Daul President

Antonio López-Istúriz Secretary-General

Enda Kenny Taoiseach & Leader of Fine Gael


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2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Hosted by EPP member party Fine Gael, this landmark Congress will launch the EPP’s EU-wide campaign for the 2014 European elections. The event is expected to gather more than 2,000 participants, including the leaders of EU institutions, Heads of State and Government, party leaders, ministers, national and European parliamentarians, and delegates from EPP member parties throughout Europe.

The XXII Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) will take place in Dublin, Ireland on 6 and 7 March 2014. Thursday

6 March 2014

Friday

7 March 2014

• Political Assembly • Election (confirmation) of the EPP President • Discussion of and vote on the “EPP Action Programme 2014-2019” • EPP Group Study Days 1st Session • Nomination and election of the EPP candidate for President of the European Commission • Acceptance speech of the EPP candidate for President of the European Commission and launch of the EPP election campaign • EPP Merit Award • EPP Group Study Days 2nd Session

dublin2014.epp.eu


2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Throughout 2013 and early 2014, the European People’s Party has focused intensively on the preparation of the campaign for the 2014 European elections, which will take place from 22 to 25 May. These will be the first European elections following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December 2009, which calls for the European Council to take into account the result of the European elections when nominating a candidate for President of the European Commission. In 2014 the EPP will again take the lead by nominating its presidential candidate, as it did in 2004 and 2009. The nomination of the EPP candidate at the Congress in Dublin on 6 and 7 May will mark the official launch of the EPP’s EU-wide campaign, which will run until the May elections. The campaign will be spearheaded by the candidate, who will travel throughout Europe in order to support the national campaigns of our EU member parties. The candidate will also battle the candidates of the other European political parties, including in televised, head-to-head presidential debates.

EPP Candidate

Selection Process and Timeline for the EPP Candidate for President of the European Commission. 13 FEBRUARY

Opening of the submission of candidacies; to be nominated, a candidate needs the support of his or her own member party, plus the endorsement of no more than two parties from two EU countries other than the country of origin of the candidate. 5 MARCH

Last day to submit candidacies. 6 MARCH (DUBLIN CONGRESS)

Review of the candidacies at the Political Assembly; validation of the candidacies and submission to the Congress for a vote. 7 MARCH (DUBLIN CONGRESS)

Congress delegates vote to elect the candidate; proclamation of the candidate; launch of the campaign.

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2014 EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

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Up2Youth Believe in People

The Centre for European Studies (CES), the official think tank and political foundation of the European People’s Party (EPP), launched an exciting new initiative in late 2013 in order to gather the best ideas from youth across Europe in advance of the 2014 elections.

Our EPP Group in the European Parliament launched in the winter of 2013 an exciting information campaign under the motto “Believe in People”. This initiative, which highlights characteristic stories of people we believe in, will culminate at the EPP Congress in Dublin and will act as a launchpad for the EPP campaign for the European elections. Visit: believeinpeople.epp.eu

Follow !

Engage !

For Congress updates Follow @EPPDublin

For European elections Use #EP2014

For News updates Follow @EPP

For EPP Congress Use #EPPDublin

The “Up2Youth” public opinion survey is an interactive, online initiative for young Europeans to express and exchange ideas on the issues that matter the most to them. From education to jobs, and from social policy to foreign affairs, the survey allows participants to address a wide range of issues, but in a quick and user-friendly way. The ten participants offering the best policy ideas will be invited to the EPP Congress in Dublin in March 2014 to meet and share their ideas directly with EU leaders, including the EPP’s candidate for President of the European Commission. Furthermore, the participant offering the very best idea will also be offered a paid, six-month internship at the CES in Brussels. “This survey will allow Europe’s youth to tell EU leaders what is most important to them. I am confident that there will be no shortage of great ideas, and we are especially pleased to further the political process by serving as a platform for debate and discussion.” Mikuláš DZURINDA, CES President

Visit: up2youth.eu


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Political Assembly Highlights 28-29 JANUARY 2013 BRUSSELS

3-4 JUNE 2013 BRUSSELS

In light of the grave situation in Mali, the Political Assembly adopted an emergency resolution proposed by the EPP Presidency which strongly supported the initiative undertaken on the basis of the UN mandate. The Political Assembly called on the EU Member States to support France, and called on the EU to rapidly implement the EU Strategy for the Sahel.

The Auditors Report of Ernst & Young was presented to the Political Assembly, as well as the EPP Accounts 2012, which were approved.

Reflecting on other foreign policy issues, three other key resolutions were adopted on religious intolerance, Syrian refugees and Cuba. The Political Assembly firmly condemned the increase of political detentions in Cuba and demanded the immediate release of political prisoners; it strongly condemned all acts of religious violence and the persecution of Christians; and it expressed serious concerns about the situation of Syrian refugees.

25-26 MARCH 2013 BRUSSELS The Political Assembly re-elected Luc VANDEPUTTE and Christian KREMER as Deputy Secretary Generals and Kostas SASMATZOGLOU as Spokesman. The Political Assembly also adopted a resolution denouncing the unacceptable statements on minorities made by Slovak Prime Minister Robert FICO, expressed concerns regarding PM Fico’s continuing leanings towards an anti-minority, xenophopic and nationalist policy, and called on the Party of European Socialists (PES) to distance itself from such dangerous remarks made by one of its prime ministers. The EPP also accepted a resolution calling on all political parties to implement and respect democratic and transparent internal procedures regarding the nomination of candidates for the elections to the European Parliament, as well as to indicate European party affiliations on national ballots.

The Political Assembly also approved the candidature of Dublin and Fine Gael as the venue for the European Elections Congress in 2014. The application of SME EUROPE to become an EPP Member Association was also approved. In addition, reports were presented on the worsening situation in Georgia, the political crisis in Moldova and the preparations for the Vilnius Summit of the Eastern Partnership.

5-6 SEPTEMBER 2013 BRUSSELS The programme for the European Elections Congress in Dublin on 6 and 7 March 2014 was unanimously adopted. In preparation for the 2014 campaign, the EPP introduced various operational campaign tools and outlined its plans to set up a “digital campaign room” run with representatives from the member parties. Following up on Croatia’s accession to the EU on 1 July 2013, the Political Assembly accepted the automatic upgrades of associate member parties HDZ and HSS of Croatia to ordinary member parties. The EPP also unanimously accepted the application for observer membership of Ukrainian party UDAR. The Political Assembly adopted a resolution titled “Freedom of Faith and Worship,” condemning all acts of violence against religious minorities and communities in countries such as Syria and Egypt, as well as a resolution condemning the Russian pressure exerted on the Eastern Partnership countries. The Political Assembly also adopted a resolution titled the “Political crisis situation in Bulgaria.” Former Georgian Minister Zurab TCHIABERASHVILI presented an overview of recent worrying political developments in his country.

A discussion also took place on Armenia’s decision to join a Russian-led customs union, and the effect that decision would have on its attempts to come closer to Europe.

12-13 NOVEMBER 2013 BRUSSELS The EPP elected Joseph DAUL as the new EPP President following the passing of former President Wilfried MARTENS in October. The Political Assembly approved the updated programme of the European Election Congress in Dublin and the composition of the Congress as well as the Congress Regulations. The EPP Action Programme 2014-2019 was also ratified. The Political Assembly adopted a resolution on the situation in Slovenia, expressing concerns regarding the condemnation of the President of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), Janez JANŠA, and underlining the need for an impartial and independent judiciary in all Member States. A resolution on the Arab Spring highlighting the role of women was also adopted. The application of Most-Hid (Slovakia) for full membership in the EPP was approved, as were the budget and membership fees for 2014.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Committee of the Regions The President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Ramón Luis VALCÁRCEL SISO (PP-ES), and EPP Group in the CoR President, Michael SCHNEIDER (CDU-DE), were the driving forces for the CoR in 2013. Their main focus was on promoting the role of Europe’s regions and cities in achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Other priorities were creating sustainable growth and jobs, youth employment and opportunities, energy security, entrepreneurship and mobility across regions. The EPP/CoR Group welcomed the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework and the legislative package on cohesion, which allows investment in quality projects relating to competitiveness, transport infrastructure, digital and energy networks, education and innovation. The adoption of these measures should encourage European leaders to focus their energy on supporting the beneficiaries of EU policies, through a quick delivery of investments, and spurring on growth in Europe. Under the motto “think globally - act locally,” the CoR works on the basis of subsidiarity. This means that decisions should always be taken at the level closest to the citizens, unless a better result can be achieved by working at the national or European level. Since 2013, a further objective of the CoR has been to better monitor, measure and shape the impact of EU policies on the ground via territorial impact assessments of EU legislative proposals.

The EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions aims to enhance the efficiency and influence of the CoR by representing the interests of citizens in the diverse cities, regions and municipalities of Europe. The EPP Group works towards a Europe that will uphold a prosperous and peaceful future for all its citizens.

The EPP Group aims to enhance the efficiency and influence of the CoR by representing the interests of citizens in the diverse cities, regions and municipalities of Europe. The EPP Group works towards a Europe that will uphold a prosperous and peaceful future for all its citizens. Given that approximately two-thirds of EU legislation is implemented by local and regional authorities, the EPP Group allows them to become more involved in framing European policies. Local and regional politicians are also ideally placed to establish and maintain close links with European citizens. The new EPP platform embraces this notion through its specific chapter on the importance of regions in economic, cultural and social terms, but also in the process of European integration.

For more information please visit:

www.epp.cor.europa.eu

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

EuroNest / Council of Europe / OSCE / NATO EPP IN THE EURONEST PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY In order to develop the parliamentary dimension of the Eastern Partnership (EaP), the EPP is the only political family to have established a parliamentary group within the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, bringing together EPP MEPs and MPs from Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, as well as guests from Azerbaijan. This parliamentary group, chaired by EPP Vice President and MEP Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO-PL), allows the EPP to enhance its political influence within Euronest and within its committees. A successful meeting was held in May 2013 in Brussels prior the third ordinary session of Euronest.

EPP IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE The EPP is committed to its involvement in the Council of Europe, an organisation that promotes the principles of the rule of law, the values of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is Jean-Claude MIGNON (UMP-FR), who worked to enhance the role of PACE in order to “support all member states without exception in implementing our standards by engaging in dialogue with them and providing expert assistance.” Through their actions within the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and in their national parliaments, more than 200 members of the Group of the European People’s Party (EPP-CD Group) have committed themselves to consolidating and stabilising freedom and democracy, human rights, peace, prosperity, solidarity and social cohesion throughout the European continent and the world. In 2013, the EPP-CD Group also elected a new Chairman, Pedro AGRAMUNT (PP-ES).

EPP IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE OSCE The EPP and the like-minded Group in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE-PA) was chaired in 2013 by Walburga HABSBURG DOUGLAS (MOD-SE). Remarkable work was carried out by the members of the EPP and like-minded Group to observe elections in Albania, Georgia, and Tajikistan, among other countries. Wolfgang GROSSRUCK (ÖVP-AT) served for part of 2013 as President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and remains President Emeritus.

EPP IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF NATO The EPP and like-minded members of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly continued their work in 2013 under the leadership of their Chairman, Karl LAMMERS (CDU-DE). The EPP and like-minded group advocated their positions through working committees and in close coordination with other political groups. The main issues on which the EPP led in 2013 include the situation Syria, stability in Afghanistan, energy, the fight against radicalism in Mali, and the Western Balkans.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Working Groups / Fora

WORKING GROUP 2

WORKING GROUP 1 In 2013, EPP Working Group 1 was co-chaired by the late EPP President Wilfried MARTENS, together with EPP Vice President Peter HINTZE (CDU-DE). The discussions mainly focused on the EPP Action Programme 2014-2019. The drafting process was carried out in close cooperation with the EPP member parties, who offered important views and contributions. The document will be finalised in early 2014 and will be considered for adoption during the EPP Congress in Dublin, Ireland on 6 and 7 March. The text will be available in 22 languages.

The main focus of Working Group 2, which was chaired in 2013 by European Commissioner and EPP Vice President Johannes HAHN (ÖVP-AT), and EPP Group Vice Chairman Gunnar HÖKMARK, MEP (MOD-SE), was economic and social policy. The Working Group contributed to the economic, financial and social policy chapters of the EPP 2014-2019 Action Programme. The Working Group also proposed further policies to strengthen the European economy in the years ahead. As economic reforms are a prerequisite for sustainable growth and high-quality jobs, the Working Group held an extensive session under the title “From Reform to Growth and Jobs.”

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 WORKING GROUPS / FORA

WORKING GROUP 3 Working Group 3, chaired by EPP Vice President and MEP Corien WORTMANN-KOOL (CDA-NL), promotes and incorporates new parties which have applied to become full members, associate members or observer members of the EPP. Following a fact-finding mission to Ukraine in May of 2013, the EPP Political Assembly voted in September in favour of accepting as an observer member the UDAR party (Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform), led by Ukrainian opposition leader Vitaly KLITSCHKO. Moreover, in September a delegation travelled to Slovakia to assess the Most-Híd party led by Béla BUGÁR. Following the recommendation of Working Group 3, Most-Híd was accepted as a full member at the Political Assembly held in November. In addition to issues of party membership, Working Group 3 organises study visits and workshops in order to deepen the EPP’s knowledge of the political situations in various countries and to exchange views between politicians, experts and Working Group members in different areas of foreign policy. In 2013, Working Group 3 focused on the developments in the Western Balkans and in the Eastern Partnership countries ahead of the Vilnius Summit. A study trip also took place to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at the invitation of EPP associate member party VMRO-DPMNE, which is led by Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI.

WORKING GROUP 4 The EPP’s Ad-Hoc Working Group 4 on Climate Change and Energy, which is co-chaired by MEP Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (CDU-DE) and Portuguese Environment and Energy Minister Jorge MOREIRA DA SILVA (PSD-PT), focused in 2013 on finalising the EPP Policy Paper on Climate Change and Energy. The aim of the work was to review the recent scientific evidence as well as the progress in achieving the EU’s 2020 carbon emission-reduction targets and update the 2008 EPP Policy Paper “Combatting Climate Change - Our Responsibility for Future Generations” adopted by the EPP Political Bureau in Madrid. The drafting process was concluded with the adoption of the document in November 2013 which will be submitted to the Political Assembly in 2014.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 WORKING GROUPS / FORA

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CYBER SECURITY ADVISORY BOARD / EPP TASK FORCE ON RESPECTFUL INTERNET FREEDOMS The EPP Cyber Security Advisory Board was extremely important in 2013 given the cyber-attacks against governments, industry and business. These events emphasised the need to take appropriate preventative measures to guard against further attacks. The Cyber Security Advisory Board, chaired by Monika HOHLMEIER, MEP (CSU-DE), focused on public security in cyber space, while considering aspects such as confidentiality, integrity and the availability of IT systems as part of critical information infrastructure protection (CIIP). To find an adequate law enforcement scheme for this purpose, the correlation of data protection and cyber security were mapped. Precautions to guard against attacks can be made through strong investment in research and development. Three successful meetings were held in Brussels in 2013, during which the EPP representatives met and discussed the above topics with various stakeholders from businesses, industry and academia. The group concluded its work with a policy document titled “EPP Policy Guidance on Cyber Security.”

EXPERT GROUP ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS

This group, chaired by Franco FRATTINI, former Italian Foreign Minister and former Vice President of the European Commission, and Mário DAVID (PSD-PT), MEP and EPP Vice President, is composed of members of the European Parliament and national parliaments who deal with foreign affairs, as well as former Foreign Ministers. The main objective of this group is to contribute to the shaping of EPP policy on foreign affairs focusing mainly on the Eastern Partnership, the Middle East and North Africa, the Western Balkans, the transatlantic dimension, relations with the BRIC countries and other major international issues.

SAINT GÉRY DIALOGUE The EPP Saint Géry Dialogue is an annual forum in Brussels in which key decision makers discuss a wide range of topics in economic policy. The 3rd edition of the Saint Géry Dialogue in January of 2013 focused in particular on the steps needed to overcome the economic and financial crisis in Europe.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Foreign Affairs

TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS A framework of strong relations with the United States represents the cornerstone of the EPP’s foreign policy, as defined by the EPP Platform approved at the EPP Congress in Bucharest in 2012. In 2013 the EPP continued its close cooperation with the International Republican Institute (IRI) by organising discussions and seminars in Brussels and Washington covering a wide range of issues of common interest, including the fight for freedom, democracy, civil rights and democracy promotion, and the protection of human rights and the rule of law, as the key drivers in a renewed EU-US partnership. The cooperation between the EPP and its transatlantic partners aims to promote common values and foster open political dialogue between the EU and the US. In 2013, EPP Secretary General Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ led two successful delegations to Washington to meet with leading members of Congress, senior administration officials from the Departments of State, Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, as well as representatives of civil society. Among the primary topics of discussion was the launch of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), especially in view of how to develop common global strategies.

EPP Secretary General Antonio LÓPEZISTÚRIZ with Francisco SÁNCHEZ, United States Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.

On behalf of the EPP, Secretary General LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ also took part in the 2013 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Conference as well as at the 4th Annual Transatlantic Think Tank Conference in Washington DC, co-organised by IRI and the EPP´s think tank, the Centre for European Studies. This event brought together high-level think tankers, experts, policymakers and other stakeholders from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss important themes in transatlantic relations.

THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) has enabled the EPP to develop its diplomatic and political cooperation with the EU’s neighbouring countries and to support them in building more stable, democratic and prosperous states. Several official visits were held, diverse events were organised and documents were adopted in order to strengthen the political dimension of the ENP. EASTERN PARTNERSHIP The Eastern Partnership (EaP) is a top priority for the EPP. In 2013 the EPP continued its effort to promote the development and deepening of this process, which offers EaP countries a large number of tools and opportunities aimed at supporting reforms and enhancing their economic and political integration in the EU. The third EPP Eastern Partnership Leaders’ Meeting, hosted by former Prime Minister of Moldova and PLDM President, Vlad FILAT, was held in Chisinau, Moldova, on 11 July 2013, with the participation of the late EPP President Wilfried MARTENS, the President of Georgia, Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, the President of Armenia, Serzh SARGSYAN and the Prime Minister of Moldova Iurie LEANCĂ. In view of the EaP Vilnius Summit, a fourth EPP EaP Leaders’ Meeting was held on 28 November 2013 in Vilnius under the chairmanship of EPP Vice President and MEP Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI (PO-PL).


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 FOREIGN AFFAIRS

This meeting was attended by the following leaders of the EU institutions, opposition leaders and EU heads of state and government: Herman VAN ROMPUY, President of the European Council; José Manuel BARROSO, President of the European Commission; Iurie LEANCĂ, Prime Minister of Moldova; Serzh SARGSYAN, President of Armenia; Traian BĂSESCU, President of Romania; Rosen PLEVNELIEV, President of Bulgaria; Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Prime Minister of Luxembourg; Fredrik REINFELDT, Prime Minister of Sweden; Antonis SAMARAS, Prime Minister of Greece. The co-chairs of the EPP Foreign Ministers´ Meeting, Elmar BROK and Radek SIKORSKI, also attended the meeting. In 2013, the EPP also remained concerned about the developments in Georgia, with political prosecutions hampering democratic governance, as well as with the situation in Ukraine regarding the dramatic decision of the authorities not to sign the Association Agreement with the EU and the continued detention of former Prime Minister Yulia TYMOSHENKO. A high-level EPP delegation travelled to Kiev on 7 December to join the demonstrations on Freedom Square and to support the free choice of the Ukrainian people as well as opposition parties Batkivschyna and UDAR, which are EPP members. The EPP also continued its efforts in 2013 in order to develop the parliamentary dimension of the EaP. The EPP parliamentary group within Euronest, chaired by EPP Vice President Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI, brought together EPP Members of the European Parliament and MPs from Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia, as well as guests from Azerbaijan. The parliamentarians met in May in Brussels in order to prepare the third plenary session of Euronest. The European People’s Party is the first political family to have established a parliamentary group within Euronest.

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NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST In light of the developments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the past few years, the EPP increased its commitment to promoting interfaith and intercultural dialogue with the Muslim world, while also supporting Arab countries which are striving for peace, democracy and stability. Numerous contacts with representatives of Mediterranean countries were made by EPP officials and representatives throughout 2013. From 22-26 September 2013, Joseph DAUL and EPP Secretary General Antonio LÓPEZISTÚRIZ co-hosted the second session of “Training and Seminars for political parties of Northern Africa and Middle East” together with the EPP Group in the European Parliament and the Center for European Studies (CES), who welcomed a delegation of parliamentarians and party representatives from Morocco. The Moroccan delegation had the opportunity to learn about the functioning of the EU by visiting the EPP headquarters, the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the European External Action Service. The visitors discussed EU politics and the European Neighbourhood Policy, among other topics, during their meetings with the EPP representatives and MEPs. In December of 2013, EPP Secretary General Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ also took part in the second edition of FAES Foundation’s training program for political and civil society representatives from MENA countries.

WESTERN BALKANS The Western Balkans occupy a particularly special place geographically and in terms of the EPP’s foreign policy priorities. Ten years after the Thessaloniki Summit, which acknowledged a European perspective for the countries of the Western Balkans, the European destiny of these countries continues to be affirmed through the EPP’s efforts. In February of 2013, a delegation of Working Group 3, chaired by EPP Vice President Corien WORTMANN-KOOL, conducted a study visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia with the purpose of assessing the reforms implemented in the country and supporting EPP member party VMRO-DPMNE, led by Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI, ahead of the local elections.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Communication

With the European elections to be held in May 2014, the crucial mission of the EPP Press and Communications Department is to promote the ideas and values of our political family, inform the public about our initiatives, and make direct contact with European citizens. This work is carried out in close cooperation with our counterparts in the EU institutions and our member parties and associations in order to streamline our messaging, receive the best exposure and continue to make the case to EU citizens that they should support us.

Get Social with us! twitter.epp.eu facebook.epp.eu youtube.epp.eu flickr.epp.eu linkedin.epp.eu


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 COMMUNICATION

45,000

Twitter account

40,000

40,000 Followers

35,000

190,000 Likes EPP in numbers. February 2014

EPP AND OUR COMPETITION (FOLLOWERS)

30,000

Facebook page

25,000 20,000

Flickr account

15,000

2,000,000 Photo views

10,000 5,000

NEW WEBSITE In line with the new visual identity which was rolled out in 2012, the EPP launched in 2013 a new, more dynamic and user-friendly website at www.epp.eu. The new website is one of the most important means of explaining the purpose, values and objectives of the EPP. The website also comes in a mobile version so that users with smartphones and tablets can stay in touch with EPP’s activities while on the move.

Greens/EFA Group

EGP

ALDE Group

EDP

ALDE

S&D Group

PES

EPP

In addition to the EPP’s extensive engagement in social networks, it has developed a more tailored approach by addressing the European citizens in their own language. For example, the EPP has launched 20 national Twitter accounts which operate in the different national languages and focus on European news, but with a national angle. The same approach will be implemented on the EPP Facebook page with the rolling out of “Global Pages” for every EU Member State.

EPP Group

0 SOCIAL NETWORKS In 2013, the EPP reinforced its position as the leading European-level political party active in all major social networks. The EPP Facebook page reached more than 190,000 fans, the Twitter account more than doubled the numbers of “Followers,” reaching 40,000, and the Flickr account reached more than two million views.


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ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Structure and Resources The European Parliament funds constitute two-thirds of the EPP’s income. The rest of the income is generated through membership fees. The membership fees of the ordinary member parties are calculated on the basis of the political strength of the party and the number of MEPs. The membership fee of the associate and observer member parties is calculated by the Political Assembly on the basis of the votes obtained by these parties during their last national elections.

UNIFORM LEGAL STATUTE FOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES In April 2013, the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) approved the Giannakou Report (Marietta GIANNAKOU, MEP, ND-EL) on the Commission Proposal to create a genuine European Legal Statute for European Political Parties and Foundations, thereby giving them legal personality in all EU Member States. The creation of a European Legal Statute was a longstanding demand of the EPP, and especially the late Wilfried MARTENS. This authentic European legal status will enable European political parties and their foundations to act as representative agents of European public interest and will increase their visibility, recognition, effectiveness, transparancy and accountability. The EPP worked in close cooperation with the rapporteur and the EPP Members in the AFCO Committee to get this report approved. The EPP is now negotiating with the EPP Ministers in the European General Affairs Council to have the Commission’s proposal passed before the European elections in 2014.

PUBLIC FUNDING The European Parliament budget for 2013 set aside 21.5 million euro for the funding of European political parties. Fifteen percent of the budget is distributed among the parties in equal shares, while 85% is distributed on the basis of the number of seats in the European Parliament held by each party. Thirteen European political parties were recognised in 2013 and received funding from the European Parliament (in millions of euro): • European People’s Party (EPP) - 7.2 • Party of European Socialists (PES) - 4.9 • Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDE) - 2.2 • European Green Party (EGP) - 1.5 • Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) - 1.4 • Party of the European Left (EL) - 0.9 • Movement for Europe of Liberties & Democracy (MELD) - 0.8 • European Democratic Party (EDP) - 0.5 • European Free Alliance (EFA) - 0.4 • European Christian Political Movement (ECPM) - 0.3 • European Alliance for Freedom (EAF) - 0.3 • Alliance of European National Movements (AENM) - 0.3 • EU Democrats (EUD) - 0.2

Prudent budget management allowed the EPP to build reserves ahead of the EPP campaign for the 2014 European elections. Moreover, the accounts of all European political parties are audited by a single auditor (Ernst & Young) appointed by the European Parliament.


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Headquarters / Internship Programme

EPP INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME In 2013 the EPP continued its successful internship programme by giving young university graduates the opportunity to acquire useful experience in European political life.

EPP HEADQUARTERS : THE BRUSSELS MEETING POINT OF THE EPP FAMILY. The EPP Headquarters are the true Brussels meeting point for everyone who is linked to the large family of the European People’s Party. The meeting rooms and attractive lounge hosted numerous working groups, conferences, seminars, and Presidency and Ministerial Meetings. Almost daily the EPP HQ welcome visitors from member parties and high-level delegations from all over the globe. All of them are charmed by the modern, efficient and inviting look and feel of our premises. In addition to the EPP staff, the building hosts most of the EPP member associations, the Centrist Democrat International, and the Forum for European Studies.

EPP internships are focused on immersing the trainees in the short and long-term political planning and activities of the party, including organising meetings and conferences, preparing reports and press releases, editing publications, updating the website and databases, communicating with member parties, EPP Groups, associations and other affiliated organisations, liaising with officials from the European institutions, etc.

THE 2013 INTERNS

Tadeusz CHADZYNSKI – Poland Linda EICHLER – Estonia Margarita KAIMAKLIOTI – Cyprus Enda McNAMARA – Ireland Ferdinando PALMERI – Italy Maria VELASCO – Spain


38

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Member Associations

YEPP

ESCU

EPP WOMEN

Konstantinos KYRANAKIS

An HERMANS

Doris PACK

Colm LAUDER

Guido DUMON

Hillie VAN DE STREEK

YEPP is the youth branch of the European People’s Party. As the largest alliance of young politicians in Europe, YEPP brings together 55 member organisations representing 1.5 million young Europeans. In 2013, YEPP campaigned for job creation, the digital single market, lower taxes and cuts in spending. It also advocated continuously for a European Ukraine as well as a common European immigration policy. The YEPP team actively supported national campaigns for parliamentary elections in Norway, Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, as well as local elections in Portugal and Estonia. These efforts played a role in more than 150 young MPs winning seats in national assemblies, more than 5,000 young representatives being elected locally and regionally, and the appointment of the youngest Minister in Europe as the new Foreign Minister of Austria.

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY GENERAL

For more information please visit:

youthepp.eu

YEPP - Activities in 2013. • 7-13 February: Council Meeting, Tirana, Albania • 15-17 April: Working Days Berlin, Germany • 9-13 May: YEPP Congress, Sofia, Bulgaria • 18-21 July: Summer School Tallinn, Estonia 2013 • 3-6 October: Job Creation Youth Summit, Bucharest, Romania • 17-20 October: Mission to Kiev, Ukraine • 23-25 October: Mission to Lampedusa, Italy • 5-7 December: Campaign Days, Brussels, Belgium.

With more than one million members in 24 countries, the ESCU is the largest political organisation of senior citizens in Europe. The organisation is dedicated to advancing the rights of European senior citizens and promoting issues such as the role of the elderly in ageing European societies, pension systems, long term care, intergenerational solidarity, and the prevention of discrimination against the elderly. In 2013, the ESCU elected new leaders, with An HERMANS as president, and 12 vice presidents. With a clear focus on the European elections in 2014, the ESCU is working to formulate policy proposals to cope with demographic changes and to build an age-friendly society.

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY GENERAL

For more information please visit:

www.eu-seniorunion.info

ESCU - Activities in 2013. • 22-23 April: 6th SOUTHERN Regional Conference, Barcelona, Spain • 7-9 July: 4th ESCU Summer Academy, Vienna, Austria • 5-8 August: Regional Conference, Turku, Finland • 7-8 November: Brussels VIII Congress, Brussels, Belgium.

EPP WOMEN (EPPW) is composed of 40 member organisations from EPP political parties which are members of the EPP in European Union and non-EU countries. EPP WOMEN is dedicated to the advancement of women’s political emancipation throughout Europe and the promotion of important women-related issues such as gender equality in the labour market and female entrepreneurship. It also focuses on the role of women in promoting liberty, justice, human rights and democracy not only in Europe, but also in regions experiencing tremendous change, such as the Middle East and North Africa.

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY GENERAL

For more information please visit:

www.epp-women.org

EPPW - Activities in 2013. • 18 March: EPP Women Colloque, Brussels, Belgium • 18-21 July: EPP Women Summer Academy on Women and Entrepreneurship, Rome, Italy • 4 October: European Women Association Congress, Warsaw, Poland.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS

EDS

EUCDW

SME Europe

Eva MAJEWSKI

Elmar BROK

Nadezhda NEYNSKY

Ingrid HOPP

Ivo BELET

Bendt BENDTSEN

EDS is the official student organisation of the EPP. Founded in 1961, EDS is the strongest voice for centre-right students in Europe, and fights for freedom, democracy and human rights. EDS currently represents 1,600,000 students and young citizens from 41 different organisations across 35 EU and non-EU countries. Gathering Christian Democrat, liberal, and conservative organisations, EDS has since its founding promoted a pro-European perspective. Currently, the main policy priorities of EDS include student mobility (Erasmus+), e-learning, youth entrepreneurship, and issues related to the Eastern Partnership. EDS holds yearly summer and winter universities, as well as three additional council meetings and “policy days” throughout the year. The EDS magazine “BullsEye” is published four times a year.

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY GENERAL

For more information please visit:

edsnet.eu

EDS - Activities in 2013. • 11-13 January: EDS Bureau Meeting, Vienna, Austria • 5-10 March: EDS Winter University: “Transborder Cooperation and Youth Opportunities”, Lviv, Ukraine • 24-28 April: EDS Council Meeting: “Innovation and the creative economy – a key factor for a better future”, Vilnius, Lithuania • 5-9 June: EDS Policy Days: “Funding Strategies in Higher Education”, Helsinki, Finland • 28 July-2 August: EDS Summer University: “Education as an incubator of European Unification”, Berlin, Germany • 25-29 September: EDS Council Meeting: “Dialogue of Cultures in Politics”, Ghent/Brussels, Belgium • 12-16 December: EDS Council Meeting: “LET ME BE! Entrepreneurship in Higher Education”, Athens, Greece.

The EUCDW is the workers’ association of the EPP, composed of 23 member organisations from 18 European countries. As the official EPP association for wage-earners, the EUCDW supports all related work carried out by the EPP and promotes the interests of its affiliated democratic trade unions, political associations and civil society organisations in the EPP, the European Parliament and at all political and trade union levels in Europe. In 2013, the EUCDW actively contributed to the preparation of the EPP Action Programme 2014-2020, as well as promoted the interests of its member organisations regarding a number of key EU social policy topics including the posting of workers, the social dimension of the EMU and the reform of vocational education systems in Europe. The EUCDW defends a Europe of subsidiarity and solidarity which acts for the dignity and freedom of its citizens in the spirit of the social market economy.

PRESIDENT

SECRETARY GENERAL

For more information please visit:

www.eucdw.org

EUCDW - Activities in 2013. • 9 February: Presidium and Board meeting in Cobh, Ireland • 3 May: Board meeting in Budapest, Hungary Publication of the paper “Vocational Education in Europe” • 24 June: Presidium meeting in Luxembourg • 12 November: Board meeting in Leuven, Belgium.

39

SME Europe represents the small and medium entrepreneurs of Europe in the EPP. The purpose of SME Europe, which became an EPP member association in 2013, is to shape EU policies in a more SME-friendly way and to bring a new spirit and fresh entrepreneurial wind to the political debate. SME Europe addresses a wide range of issues such as the internal market, international trade, innovation and research, and gender equality in order to strengthen the European economy and create sustainable jobs, growth and prosperity.

PRESIDENT

FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT

For more information please visit:

smeeurope.eu

SME Europe - Activities in 2013. • 18 June: Joint Conference with CSU Brussels on “European Research after the Crisis – Chances and Challenges for European Citizens, Enterprises and Researchers”, Brussels, Belgium • 25 June: Working Breakfast on “Challenges and Opportunities in Safeguarding the Innovations of European SMEs – Lessons from the “Learn to Protect” Project, Brussels, Belgium • 26 September: Working Breakfast on “To Quota or not to Quota: Women on Boards”, Brussels, Belgium • 27 November: Event “A success story of the European SME Legislation” with a book presentation of “Entrepreneurs Need Freedom” by Dr Paul RÜBIG, MEP, Brussels, Belgium • 28 November: Working Breakfast: “WTO meeting in Bali: What consequences for SMEs?”, Brussels, Belgium Conference on “Croatia – the New Player in the EU Internal Market”, Brussels, Belgium • 4 December: Conference on “Coworking Europe, an Alternative Way of Operating SMEs and Entrepreneurs”, Brussels, Belgium.


40

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Centre for European Studies

The Centre for European Studies (CES), the official think tank of the EPP, had a busy and exciting year in 2013. The year began with the re-launch of the CES website, a state-of-the-art platform connecting people, events and organisations under the common umbrella of high-quality research guided by centre-right values and ideas. It organised the Fourth Annual Economic Ideas Forum in Helsinki, which attracted the highest level of speakers and international press coverage to date. Under the slogan “From reform to growth,” the CES continued to reach out to European citizens and to debate policy solutions to the most critical issues—a crucial mission ahead of the European elections in May of 2014. Following the passing of CES President Wilfried MARTENS in October, the Centre welcomed its new President, Mikuláš DZURINDA, the former Prime Minister of Slovakia.


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN STUDIES

ACTIVITIES AND RESEARCH In 2013, the CES published books and hosted events covering a range of topics including: economic reforms to provide lasting growth, the use of social media by MEPs, smart fiscal consolidation, social capital in Europe and political developments in Georgia. Furthermore, the CES examined issues such as the rise of populist parties throughout Europe and EU-NATO relations by holding a series of lunchtime seminars that brought together high-level speakers. ECONOMIC IDEAS FORUM Since 2010, the CES has organised the annual Economic Ideas Forum (EIF) that brings together high-level representatives from the world of politics, business and academia to explore new ideas for improving the European economy and providing economic solutions for overcoming issues of global importance. The 2013 EIF was held on 6 and 7 June in Helsinki, Finland, and discussed the most pressing topics on the economic agenda including the role of the EU in the global economy, new sources of growth, ways to deal with unemployment, banking and financial regulation, the green economy and sustainability. The Forum was hosted by the Prime Minister of Finland, Jyrki KATAINEN. FOURTH ANNUAL TRANSATLANTIC THINK TANK CONFERENCE On 17 and 18 July, the CES, together with the International Republican Institute (IRI), held the Fourth Annual Transatlantic Think Tank Conference in Washington, D.C. The event brought together high-level think tankers, experts and policymakers from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss issues such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the instability in the Middle East, cyber warfare, and Russia’s increasingly active role in foreign affairs. CES director Tomi HUHTANEN delivered the closing remarks.

41

EXPOSING THE DEMAGOGUES In September, the CES, in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, published the book “Exposing the Demagogues: Right-wing and National Populist Parties in Europe.” The publication provides an overview of the history, profile, programmes and evolution of populist movements in different European countries. The book provides possible answers and strategies for EPP parties who are most affected by these types of movements. The book was launched in Brussels on 26 September in the presence of the two editors and the author of the Austrian chapter. The publication was an instant success; the original version was reprinted in December, while a short version is now available in German, and soon in English as well. FROM REFORM TO GROWTH In May, the CES collaborated with its member foundations to publish the book “From Reform to Growth: Managing the Economic Crisis in Europe,” which describes government responses to the current economic crisis. Covering nineteen European countries, one region and the EU level, the book draws lessons from the crisis and provides recommendations to policymakers. It argues that lasting economic growth should be restarted by a combination of fiscal consolidation measures and structural reforms. The book was presented at the EIF in Helsinki and also provided the theme for a CES policy conference on 12 November. It also gave the title to a CES ideas campaign in the run-up to the European elections in 2014. The book was featured at events prepared in cooperation with two CES member foundations: ProPatria in Tallinn on 15 November and the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Berlin on 5 December. Its arguments were also presented to the EPP’s Working Group on Economic and Social Policy.


42

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Who is Who Presidency PRESIDENT

SECRETARY GENERAL

Joseph DAUL France – UMP

Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ Spain - PP

VICE PRESIDENTS*

Michel BARNIER France - UMP

Tobias BILLSTRÖM Sweden - MOD

Anca BOAGIU Romania - PDL

Lucinda CREIGHTON Ireland - FG

Mário DAVID Portugal - PSD

Johannes HAHN Austria - ÖVP

Peter HINTZE Germany - CDU

Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI Poland - PO

Antonio TAJANI Italy - PdL

Corien WORTMANN-KOOL Netherlands - CDA

Ingo FRIEDRICH / TREASURER Germany - CSU

José Manuel BARROSO Portugal - PSD

Herman VAN ROMPUY Belgium - CD&V

* In alphabetical order

EX OFFICIO VICE PRESIDENTS


43

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Secretariat ELECTED OFFICIALS

Christian KREMER Deputy Secretary General

Luc VANDEPUTTE Deputy Secretary General

Giuseppina CURRELI

Nicolas BRIEC

Kostas SASMATZOGLOU Spokesman

STAFF

Brenda FURNIERE

Head of the President’s Office bfurniere@epp.eu

Eva PALACKOVÁ

Political Adviser epalackova@epp.eu

Yelba TORRES

Assistant for Working Groups, Ministerial Meetings ytorres@epp.eu

Guy VOLCKAERT

Manager of Informatics and Internet gvolckaert@epp.eu

Head of the Secretary General’s Office and Senior Political Adviser gcurreli@epp.eu

Javier JIMÉNEZ

Director of Press and Communications jjimenez@epp.eu

Beatriz DE ANTA DE BENITO

Karine MILHEIRO

Political Adviser bdeanta@epp.eu

Press and Assistant to the Communications Officer Secretary General kmilheiro@epp.eu sgeidel@epp.eu

Enda McNAMARA

Charlotte FRIZBERG

Assistant to the President’s Office emcnamara@epp.eu

Gonçalo CARRIÇO IT Administrator gcarrico@epp.eu

Assistant Event Management cfrizberg@epp.eu

Solenn GEIDEL

Julia ZALUTSKAJA Assistant for External Relations jzalutskaja@epp.eu

Senior Political Adviser nbriec@epp.eu

Claudia CAJVAN

Assistant to Deputy Secretary General Christian Kremer ccajvan@epp.eu

John LAGESON

Publications Manager jlageson@epp.eu

Siegfried MURESAN

Senior Political Adviser smuresan@epp.eu

Daphné LAMAL

Assistant to Deputy Secretary General Luc Vandeputte dlamal@epp.eu

Óscar SÁNCHEZ BENÍTEZ

Social Media Manager osanchezbenitez@epp.eu

Galina FOMENCHENKO

Juan MAGAZ

Margarita KAIMAKLIOTI

Pavlína HEYMANSŠPAČKOVÁ

Tadeusz CHADZYNSKI

Sophie PAEME

Political Adviser gfomenchenko@epp.eu

Assistant to the Spokesman mkaimaklioti@epp.eu

Officer tchadzynski@epp.eu

Political Adviser jmagaz@epp.eu

Assistant for Ministerial Meetings, Archives pheymans@epp.eu

Reception and general administration spaeme@epp.eu


44

ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Member Parties European Union countries +

Associate members ° Observer members

AT

Österreichische Volkspartei / ÖVP / Austrian People’s Party

BE

Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams / CD&V / Christian Democrat and Flemish Centre démocrate humaniste / cdH / Humanist Democratic Centre

BG

HR

epp.eu/oevp

epp.eu/cdenv epp.eu/cdh

Граждани за европейско развитие на България • Grazhdani za evropeysko razvitie na Balgariya / epp.eu/gerb ГЕРБ • GERB / Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Съюз на демократичните сили • Sayuz na demokratichnite sili / СДС • SDS / Union of Democratic Forces epp.eu/sds-bg Демократи за силна България • Demokrati za silna Bulgaria / ДСБ • DSB / Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria epp.eu/dsb Демократическа партия • Demokraticheska partia / ДП • DP / Democratic Party epp.eu/dp Hrvatska demokratska zajednica / HDZ / Croatian Democratic Union Hrvatska seljačka stranka / HSS / Croatian Peasant’s Party

epp.eu/hdz epp.eu/hss

epp.eu/disy

CY

CZ

TOP 09 Křesťanská a demokratická unie – Československá strana lidová / KDU-ČSL / Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People’s Party

epp.eu/top09 epp.eu/kdu

DK

Det Konservative Folkeparti / C / Conservative People’s Party Kristendemokraterne / KD / Christian Democrats

epp.eu/c epp.eu/kd-dk

EE

Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit / IRL / Pro Patria and Res Publica Union

FI

Kansallinen Kokoomus / KOK / National Coalition Party Kristillisdemokraatit° / KD / Christian Democrats

FR

Union pour un Mouvement Populaire / UMP / Union for a Popular Movement

DE

Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands / CDU / Christian Democratic Union of Germany Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern / CSU / Christian Social Union in Bavaria

epp.eu/kokoomus epp.eu/kd-fi

epp.eu/ump

epp.eu/cdu epp.eu/csu

epp.eu/nd

GR

HU

epp.eu/irl

Fidesz - Magyar Polgári Szövetség / FIDESZ / Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt / KDNP / Christian Democratic People’s Party

epp.eu/fidesz epp.eu/kdnp


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 MEMBER PARTIES

epp.eu/fg

IE

Fine Gael / FG / Family of the Irish

IT

Il Popolo della Libertà / PdL / The People of Freedom Unione dei Democratici Cristiani e di Centro / UDC / Union of the Centre UDEUR Popolari per il Sud / UDEUR / People for the South Südtiroler Volkspartei° / SVP / South Tyrolean People’s Party

LV

Vienotība / Unity

LT

Tėvynės sąjunga - Lietuvos krikščionys demokratai / TS-LKD / Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats

LU

Chrëschtlech Sozial Vollekspartei / CSV / Christian Social People’s Party

MT

Partit Nazzjonalista / PN / Nationalist Party

NL

Christen-Democratisch Appèl / CDA / Christian Democratic Appeal

PL

Platforma Obywatelska / PO / Civic Platform Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe / PSL / Polish People’s Party

PT

Partido Social Democrata / PSD / Social Democratic Party Centro Democrático e Social - Partido Popular / CDS-PP / Social and Democratic Centre – People’s Party

epp.eu/psd epp.eu/cdspp

RO

Partidul Democrat-Liberal / PDL / Democratic Liberal Party Romániai Magyar Demokrata Szövetség • Uniunea Democrată Maghiară din România / RMDSZ • UDMR / Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania Partidul Naţional Ţărănesc Creştin Democrat / PNŢCD / Christian Democratic National Peasant’s Party

epp.eu/pdl epp.eu/rmdsz

epp.eu/pdl-it epp.eu/udc epp.eu/udeur epp.eu/svp

epp.eu/vienotiba

epp.eu/tslkd

epp.eu/csv

epp.eu/pn

epp.eu/cda

epp.eu/po epp.eu/psl

epp.eu/pntcd epp.eu/kdh epp.eu/sdku

SK

Kresťanskodemokratické hnutie / KDH / Christian Democratic Movement Slovenská demokratická a kresťanská únia – Demokratická strana / SDKÚ-DS / Slovakian Christian Democratic Union – Democratic Party Most-Híd Magyar Közösség Pártja • Strana maďarskej komunity / SMK • MKP / Party of the Hungarian Community

SI

Slovenska demokratska stranka / SDS / Slovenian Democratic Party Slovenska ljudska stranka / SLS / Slovenian People’s Party Nova Slovenija – krščanska ljudska stranka / N.Si / New Slovenia - Christian People’s Party

ES

Partido Popular / PP / People’s Party Unió Democràtica de Catalunya • Unión Democrática de Cataluña / UDC / Democratic Union of Catalonia

epp.eu/pp epp.eu/unio

SE

Moderata samlingspartiet / MOD - Moderaterna / Moderate Coalition Party Kristdemokraterna / KD / Christian Democrats

epp.eu/moderaterna epp.eu/kristdemokraterna

epp.eu/mh epp.eu/mkp epp.eu/sds epp.eu/sls epp.eu/nsi


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013 MEMBER PARTIES

Non-EU countries +

Associate members ° Observer members AL

Partia Demokratike e Shqipërisë° / PDSH / Democratic Party of Albania

AM

• Hayastani Hanrapetakan Kusaktsutyun° / HHK / Republican Party of Armenia • Orinats Erkir° / OEK / Rule of Law • Zharangutyun° / Heritage

BY

MK

epp.eu/hhk epp.eu/oek epp.eu/zharangutyun

Партыя БНФ • Partyja BNF° / ПБНФ • PBNF / BPF Party

epp.eu/bnf

Аб’ядна́ная грамадзя́нская па́ртыя Белару́сі • Abjadnanaja hramadzianskaja partyja Biełarusi°

epp.eu/ahp

BPF stands for Belarusian People’s Front. It was forced to change its name after a ban by the Lukashenko dictatorship.

/ АГП • AHP / United Civic Party of Belarus

BA

epp.eu/pdsh

Stranka Demokratske Akcije° / SDA / Party of Democratic Action Hrvatska demokratska zajednica Bosne i Hercegovine° / HDZ BiH / Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina Партија демократског прогреса • Partija demokratskog progresa° / ПДП • PDP / Party of Democratic Progress

Внатрешна македонска револуционерна организација – Демократска партија за македонско национално единство • Vnatrešna makedonska revolucionerna organizacija –

Demokratska partija za makedonsko nacionalno edinstvo+ / ВМРО-ДПМНЕ • VMRO-DPMNE / Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity

epp.eu/sda epp.eu/hdzbih epp.eu/pdp

epp.eu/vmrodpmne

GE

ერთიანი ნაციონალური მოძრაობა • Ertiani Natsionaluri Modzraoba° / ენმ • ENM - UNM / United National Movement

MD

Partidul Liberal Democrat din Moldova° / PLDM / Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova

NO

Høyre+ / H / Conservative Party Kristelig Folkeparti° / KrF / Christian Democratic People’s Party

SM

Partito Democratico Cristiano Sammarinese° / PDCS / Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party

epp.eu/pdcs

RS

Уједињени региони Србије • Ujedinjeni regioni Srbije+ / УPC • URS / United Regions of Serbia Vajdasági Magyar Szövetség° • Савез војвођанских Мађара • Savez vojvođanskih Mađara / VMSZ • CBM • SVM / Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians

epp.eu/urs epp.eu/vmsz

CH

Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei • Parti démocrate-chrétien • Partito popolare democratico+ / CVP • PDC • PPD / Christian Democratic People’s Party

Всеукраїнське об’єднання “Батьківщина” • Vseukrayins’ke Obyednannya Bat’kivshchyna° / UA

Batkivschyna / All Ukrainian Union “Fatherland” Український демократичний альянс за реформи / УДАР • UDAR / Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform Народний Рух України • Narodnyi Rukh Ukrajiny° / Рух • Rukh / People’s Movement of Ukraine

KOSOVO*

Lidhja Demokratike e Kosovës° / LDK / Democratic League of Kosovo

* The EPP does not have a position on the legal status of Kosovo.

epp.eu/unm

epp.eu/pldm epp.eu/hoyre epp.eu/krf

epp.eu/cvp

epp.eu/batkivschyna epp.eu/udar epp.eu/rukh epp.eu/ldk


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

Map of Europe

ICELAND

CHECK

THE MAP TO FIND THE APPORTIONMENT OF SEATS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

FINLAND 13

SWEDEN

NORWAY

20 6

8

ESTONIA

LATVIA

RUSSIA

DENMARK 13

IRELAND 11 UNITED KINGDOM

LITHUANIA 11

NETHERLANDS

BELARUS

26

73

GERMANY 96

POLAND 51

BELGIUM 21 6

LUXEMBOURG 21

74

FRANCE

SLOVAKIA MOLDOVA

LIECHTENSTEIN

21

SLOVENIA 8

ROMANIA

HUNGARY

CROATIA

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

SAN MARINO

ARMENIA

SERBIA 17

KOSOVO*

21

PORTUGAL

MONTENEGRO

54

SPAIN

GEORGIA

32

11

MONACO

ANDORRA

13

AUSTRIA 18

SWITZERLAND

UKRAINE

CZECH REPUBLIC

73

BULGARIA

F.Y.R.O.M.

ALBANIA

ITALY

TURKEY

GREECE 21

6

EU COUNTRY NON-EU COUNTRY

MALTA

Not visible on this Map:

CYPRUS

6

Guadaloupe (F) / Guayana (F) / Martinique (F) / Mayotte (F) / Réunion (F) / Curaçao (NL) / Bonaire (NL) / Sint Maarten (NL) / Azores (P).


ANNUAL REVIEW 2013

European People’s Party 10, rue du commerce B-1000 Brussels

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