MEPs also elected Daniel Buda (EPP, RO), Norbert Lins (EPP, DE), Eric Sargiacomo (S&D, FR) as vice-presidents. The fourth vice-president will be elected at the upcoming meeting. Will anyone from Poland dare to effectively create agricultural policy from Brussels?
Priorities of the new chairwoman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Parliament
After the election with 31 votes for, 8 against and 10 abstentions, Veronika Vrecionová said:
– We are starting a new parliamentary term, I am very pleased with the trust my colleagues have placed in me and I am looking forward to constructive debates. I will work hard for better conditions for family farms and small and medium-sized farmers. We must listen to them; we must radically reduce bureaucracy, and the entire common agricultural policy must reflect the fact that we have started an accession dialogue with Ukraine. I will personally focus on animal welfare.
She is the first woman in history to hold this position.
The vote on the AGRI Commission Bureau took place in a secret electronic vote.
Daniel Buda from Romania was elected as first vice-chairman with 33 votes in favor, 9 against and 5 abstentions.
Norbert Lins from Germany was elected second vice-president with 36 votes in favor (he was therefore elected by an absolute majority of the votes cast compared to Mireia Borrás Pabón (PfE, ES) who received 10 votes in favor).
Eric Sargiacomo from France was elected 3rd Vice-President by 39 votes to 3, with no abstentions.
Main responsibilities of the Chair of the Agriculture Committee in the European Parliament
The Chair chairs committee and coordinator meetings, represents the committee both inside and outside the European Parliament, and chairs the committee's legislative negotiations. In addition, the chairman has authority over voting procedures and the rules on the admissibility of amendments.
The committee chairs and vice-chairs form an office that is responsible for the efficient functioning of their committees. The committee office serves for two and a half years (half term).
Poles did not fight for the chairmanship of the agriculture committee in the European Parliament
Let us recall that among the 49 members of the AGRI committee in the European Parliament, 5 are from Poland. It is surprising that Poland as an agricultural country, when in every election, when agricultural topics are widely discussed and close to politicians, no one has broken through to set the tone for the work of the agriculture committee at the European level. Especially at such an important moment, when talks on the future Common Agricultural Policy will take place, and the issues of Ukraine's inclusion in the EU will be discussed and negotiated.
Who from Poland sits on the European Agriculture Committee?
The European Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development consists of 49 members, with five members from Poland:
Waldemar Buda (PiS), Anna Zaleska (PiS), Krzysztof Hetman (PO), Marta Wcisło (PO), Anna Bryłka (Confederation).
Below is a list of all EU members in PDF.
