The European Parliament's new ECON Committee - A Cicero Group overview

ECON COMMITTEE MEMBERS - A CICERO GROUP OVERVIEW This week, the European Parliament held its first Plenary Session in Strasbourg, where it confirmed not only its President but also the composition of the Parliamentary Committees. We have put together this overview of key MEPs who will be (re)joining the influential Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) Committee. The ECON Committee will come together for the first time during its constitutive meeting on the 8th of July where it will appoint its Chair and Vice-Chairs. It is expected that previous Chair to the ECON Committee Roberto Gualtieri will be re-elected.

IMPORTANT RETURNING MEPs:

ECON COMMITTEE MEMBERS

MEP Danuta Maria Hübner EPP

Evelyn Regner

Ludek Niedermayer EPP

Markus Ferber EPP

Molly Scott Cato Greens/EFA

Neena Gill

Othmar Karas EPP

Paul Tang

Philippe Lamberts Greens/EFA

Roberto Gualtieri

Sirpa Pietikäinen EPP

Sven Giegold Greens/EFA

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NEW KEY MEPs: MEP

ABOUT Aurore Lalucq

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An economist and founder of think tank the Veblen Institute for Economic Reform, Lalucq’s main focus is the ecological transition. She can therefore be expected to be an active figure on ECON’s upcoming sustainable finance work.

Aušra Maldeikienė EPP

Maldeikienė holds a PhD in Social Sciences, and is an Economist and Lecturer in Political Economy. From 2015-2016 she served as Deputy Chair of the Committee on Economy and Finance in the Vilnius City Municipality. More recently, she served as Deputy-Chair of Committee on European Affairs in the Lithuanian Parliament. Maldeikienė is a key figure in Lithuanian politics, and recently challenged Dalia Grybauskaite in the presidential elections.

Helena.Walsh@cicero-group.com BXL: +32 (0)2 612 8152

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ECON COMMITTEE MEMBERS - A CICERO GROUP OVERVIEW MEP

ABOUT Billy Kelleher Renew

A recent TD in the Oireachtas (Member of Parliament), Kelleher previously served as Minister of State for Trade and Commerce (2009-2011) and Minister of State for Labour Affairs from (2007-2009). His previous areas of interest were mainly health and trade, it is yet to show where his interests in ECON will lie.

Eero Heinäluoma

Following a long career with Finnish labour confederation SAK, Heinäluoma held a number of key positions in the Social Democratic Party. The former Speaker of Parliament and Finance Minister (2005-2007) supports EU-wide cooperation on a number of issues, but disagrees with debt solidarity across the bloc.

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ECON COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Frances Fitzgerald EPP

As a prominent Irish Fine Gael politician who has held senior roles in the Irish government, including as Deputy Head of Government (Táinaste) and as Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Frances Fitzgerald is expected to play a key role in the ECON Committee including on Brexit-related issues. Aside from her position in the ECON Committee, Fitzgerald will also be EPP Group Coordinator for the Women’s Rights Committee, aligning with her priorities which include inclusive growth, innovation and increased opportunities for young people.

Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo - EPP

While Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo is certainly not new to Brussels, having served as MEP from 1994 – 2011, he is returning to the European Parliament after eight years during which he served as Foreign Minister of Spain under Mariano Rajoy’s government. During his time as an MEP, Margallo was Vice-Chairman of the ECON Committee and led the Parliament’s work on establishing the European Banking Authority.

Lídia Pereira EPP

As President of the Youth of the European People’s Party (YEPP), 27-year-old Lídia Pereira is new to politics, previously having worked as a consultant. Joining the ECON Committee as a newcomer, she is expected to be an ambitious and active figure in the ECON Committee.

Luis Garicano Renew

A renowned Spanish Economist, Garicano is relatively new to politics, having joined Spanish Liberal Party Ciudadanos in 2015. He will combine his role as MEP with his work as Professor of Economics at IE Business School in Madrid.

Garicano is considered a leading researcher in topics relating to the impact of technology on economic growth and the organisation of the economic activity, indicating he can be expected to be active on FinTech related files.

Marek Belka

An experienced politician and leader, Marek Belka has held a number of important roles in the Polish administration, including Prime Minister and Finance Minister. From 2008 – 2010, Belka worked as Director of the European Department of the International Monetary Fund, leading the organisation’s response to the economic crisis. Belka is expected to play an active and important role in the ECON Committee.

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Helena.Walsh@cicero-group.com BXL: +32 (0)2 612 8152

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