European Parliament:
Vice–Chairs of the Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA (ALDE, ES) elected as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI).
Substitutes of the Committees, Subcommittees and the Delegations:
Javier NART (ALDE, ES) left the Committee on Development (DEVE).
Carolina PUNSET BANNEL (ALDE, ES) joined the Committee on Development (DEVE), the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and the Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia (D-SAS).
News on Committees:
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE): Sylvie GUILLAUME (S&D, FR) led a seven member delegation to Turkey from 8 to 11 February. The scope of the visit was to assess the situation in a refugee camp and other refugee support projects and meet up with Turkish interlocutors, NGOs and other partners.
Budget Committee: Jean ARTHUIS (ALDE, FR) also visited Turkey over the same period, leading a delegation of 11 MEPs in order to investigate the use of the EU funds and EU support measures for refugees with the authorities there
European Commission:
Cabinets:
Jyrki KATAINEN team: Marika LAUTSO-MOUSNIER joined as a new member.
Directorates General:
Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (GROW): Eric MAMER appointed as Director for Competitiveness and European Semester (Directorate A). He will replace Stéphane LEBRUN (Acting). Sławomir TOKARSKI appointed as Director for Innovation and Advanced Manufacturing (Directorate F). TOKARSKI is currently Acting Director for the position.
International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO):
Directorate B – Human Development and Migration: Jean-Louis VILLE became Acting Director, replacing Lotte KNUDSEN.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE):
Directorate d – Mediterranean and Black Sea: Christos ECONOMOU became the new Head of Maritime Policy Mediterranean and Black Sea, replacing Franz LAMPLMAIR (acting).
Migration and Home Affairs (HOME):
Directorate A – Strategy and General Affairs: Pawel BUSIAKIEWICZ became the new Acting Head of the International Coordination Unit, replacing Henrik NIELSEN.
Directorate C – Migration and Protection: Henrik NIELSEN became the new Head of Asylum Unit, replacing Stephen RYAN (acting).
Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (NEAR):
Directorate R – Resources: Wojciech KOWALSKI (Head of Human Resources and IT) became acting Director, replacing Colette COTTER.
Research and Innovation (RTD): Reshuffle
Octavi QUINTANA TRIAS, previously Principal Adviser for Smart Specialisation became Principal Adviser for Migration.
Franco BISCONTIN became Acting Deputy Director General for Human Resources and Common Support Centre.
Directorate A – Policy Development and Coordination: Kurt VANDENBERGHE (previously Director of Directorate I – Climate Action and Resource Efficiency) became the new Director, replacing Jack METTHEY. Stephen PARKER became acting Head of External and Internal Communication Unit, replacing Begoña ARANO. Alan CROSS became Acting Head of Horizon 2020 Policy Unit, replacing Brendan HAWDON, who was appointed Adviser for R&I Policy Development and Coordination.
Directorate B - Innovation Union and European Research Area became Open Innovation and Open Science. Innovation Union Policy Unit became Open Innovation. European Research Area Policy Unit became Open Science and ERA policy. Reflective Societies Unit became Science with and for Society.
Directorate C – International Cooperation: István Laszlo NÁRAI, previously Head of Administration and Finance was appointed Adviser for Relations with international organisations. Begoña ARANO became the new Head of North America, Latin America and Caribbean Unit, replacing Robert BURMANJER. Andrea CARIGNANI DI NOVOLI became the new Head of European Neighbourhood, Africa and Gulf Unit, replacing Fadila BOUGHANEMI (acting).
Directorate D – Key Enabling Technologies: Rudolf STROHMEIER appointed Acting Director, replacing Clara DE LA TORRE. Hélène CHRAYE, previously Head of Administration and Finance became Head of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnologies Unit, replacing Jyrki SUOINEN. Patrik KOLAR, previously Head of Agri-Food Chain Unit became the new Head of Administration and Finance Unit, replacing Hélène CHRAYE. Robert BURMANJER became the new Head of Coal and Steel Unit, replacing Laurence MOREAU (acting).
Directorate H – Transport: Clara DE LA TORRE became the new Director, replacing Manuela SOARES.
Directorate I – Climate Action and Resource Efficiency: Jack METTHEY became the new Director, replacing Kurt VANDENBERGHE.
Directorate J – Common Support Centre: S. N’DONG became the new acting Head of Common IT Service, replacing Patrice LEMAITRE. Gabor Mihaly NAGY became the new Acting Head of Common Service for Horizon 2020 Information and Data, replacing Martin BOHLE.
Directorate R – Resources: Patrice LEMAITRE became the new Head of Budget Unit, replacing Christophe PROULT.
Secretariat-General:
Mary MCCARTHY appointed Director of Structural Support Service (SRSS).
News in a nutshell:
Bulgaria: The Foreign Ministry nominated Irina BOKOVA as candidate for the United Nations Secretary-General post, putting an end to the rumours that Vice President of the Commission, Kristalina GEORGIEVA could be proposed for the role. BOKOVA is currently the Director-General of UNESCO.
France: The French government was reshuffled on Thursday. There was some changes in the governmental structure and its composition with the entrance of some Greens and a re-allocation of portfolios as well. Laurent FABIUS, Socialist Party (S&D) stepped down as Foreign Minister but will continue to chair COP21. Former Socialist Prime Minister Jean-Marc AYRAULT took over in the reins of the French diplomacy.
Greece: Ex Finance Minister Yanis VAROUFAKIS, Syriza (GUE/NGL) officially launched a pan-European political movement, named Democracy in Europe (DiEM25) in an event that took place on 9 February in Berlin. According to the manifesto of the grassroots movement its main goal is to “bring about a fully democratic, functional Europe by 2025”. VAROUFAKIS made it clear that this new movement will mainly be a forum for sharing ideas but did not say whether it will contest elections or turn it into a party. By Friday afternoon more than 10000 people have joined the movement (based on information from the website).
Latvia: The Latvian parliament approved the cabinet of Maris KUCINSKIS on 11 February. KUCINSKIS succeeds Laimdota STRAUJUMA Unity (EPP) who resigned in early December. Edgars RINKEVICS was appointed as Foreign Minister, replacing Edgars RINKĒVIČS, Unity (EPP) and Dana REIZNIECE-OZOLA, Union of Greens and Farmers (ALDE) as the new Finance Minister to succeed Jānis REIRS, Unity (EPP). The new government is led by a coalition of the Union of Greens and Farmers, the National Alliance (ECR) and the Unity (EPP).
Lithuania: Health Minister Rimantė ŠALAŠEVIČIŪTĖ, Social Democratic Party (S&D) officially submitted her resignation to the Prime Minister over a corruption scandal. Her successor has not been named yet.
United Kingdom: The European Council summit on 18 February will be dominated by the United Kingdom’s future relationship with the EU. Earlier this month Council President Donald TUSK published a letter to national leaders on his proposal for a new settlement for the UK.
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