ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 BRUSSELS 001404 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ECON PGOV OVIP OEXC PINR EUN SUBJECT: ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION FOR RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES REF: BRUSSELS 1304 ¶1. (SBU) INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY: The European Parliament (EP) has become increasingly influential in EU legislation and policy making; the new Lisbon Treaty, when ratified, will significantly accelerate this trend, in particular in the areas of justice and home affairs, agricultural budgets and international trade. With the seating of the new EP following the June elections, USEU has significantly increased its outreach to the EP, and now generally recommends that USG officials consider meeting with appropriate EP counterparts when visiting Brussels. ¶2. (SBU) One of our first ports of call in the EP for transatlantic policy discussions will be the EP's Delegation for Relations with the United States (D-US),now chaired by German conservative (and Merkel confidante) Elmar Brok. Reflecting the importance both of transatlantic relations to the European Union and the EP's interest in better ties with the U.S. Congress, U.S. Delegation members are often powerful and influential in their own right elsewhere in the Parliament, and particularly in those committees that handle issues of concern to us. This cable looks in detail at the composition and members of the Delegation and tries to identify MEPs likely to be the most influential and potential key contacts for the USG in view of their role and activities in the European Parliament. In the interest of simplicity, this analysis limits itself to the 53 full members of the Delegation (substitute members are not taken into account) and complements an earlier Brussels telegram on the delegation (reftel). ¶3. (U) The U.S. Delegation will send five MEPs, including the chair Elmar Brok and two vice chairs, to Washington next week to meet with the Co-chairs of the Transatlantic Economic Council (DNSA Froman and Commission Vice President Verheugen),counterparts in Congress and senior Administration officials. END SUMMARY. -------------- EP Leaders in the Delegation -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In addition to the recently elected chairman (German member of EPP Elmar Brok) of the D-US and its two vice-chairs (British Liberal Democrat Sarah Ludford and Greek Euroskeptic Niki Tzavela),a number of D-US members hold influential positions in the European Parliament: -- Two EP Vice-Presidents are member of the D-US: Greek Socialist MEP Stavros Lambrinidis and Czech Socialist MEP Libor Roucek; -- Nine D-US members are vice-chairs of their political groups, which play a critical role in EP politics and policy formulation; -- The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)has three of its vice-chairs sit on the D-US: Maria Badia i Cutchet(Spain),Hannes Swoboda (Austria) and Marita Ulvskog (Sweden); -- From the Center-right European People's Party, two EPP vice-chairs are part of the Delegation: Paulo Rangel (Portugal) and Corien Wortmann-Kool (Netherlands; -- The Greens have two vice-chairs sit on the Delegation, namely Reinhardt Butikofer (Germany) and Clause Turmes (Luxembourg); -- Anneli Jddtteenmdki (Finland),who is vice-chair of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE),also sits on the D-US; -- Vice-chair of the D-US Tzavela also serves as vice-chair of her political group, the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group (EFD). ¶5. (SBU) Six members of the Delegation hold leadership positions in the Parliament's specialized Committees: -- Elmar Brok (EPP, Germany),the D-US chair, also serves as one of the two EPP coordinators in the Foreign Affairs Committee; -- Fiorello Provera (EFD, Italy) is vice-chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee; -- Jeannine Hennis Plasschaert (ALDE, Netherlands) is the ALDE Coordinator in the Citizens' Rights (LIBE) Committee; -- Danuta Hubner (EPP, Poland) is the Chair of the Regional Affairs Committee; -- Corina Cretu (S&D, Romania) is vice-chair of the Development Committee; and -- Rafal Trzaskowski (EPP, Poland) is vice-chair of the Constitutional Affairs Committee. -------------- Representation of Committees -------------- ¶6. (U) With twelve full members, the Foreign Affairs Committee is best represented in the D-US, followed by the Industry Committee (seven members),the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (five members),the Constitutional Affairs Committee (five members),the Environment Committee (four members),the Security and Defense BRUSSELS 00001404 002 OF 007 Committee (four members),the Citizens' Rights Committee (three members) and the Regional Affairs Committee (three members). The Internal Market Committee, the Legal Affairs Committee, the Employment Committee and the Culture Committee all deliver two members to the Delegation, while the International Trade Committee, the Agriculture Committee, the Development Committee, the Fisheries Committee, the Budget Committee, the Human Rights Committee and the Petitions Committee all have one member who is at the same time a full member of the D-US. Foreign Affairs Committee -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Twelve D-US members are also members of the Foreign Afairs Committee: --Elmar Brok (Germany, EPP): Elmar Brok is a respected senior MEP from the main center-right EPP group and was former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for more than 7 years; he is known to be close to German Chancellor Merkel. He is also the EP's expert on institutional matters and is currently the drafter of a report on the institutional aspects of the External Action Service; --Hannes Swoboda (Austria, S&D): An MEP since 1996, is a Vice-Chairman of the socialist group and is considered as socialist Chairman Martin Schulz's "right arm." He has been, and will remain, an active member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He is a Vice-Chairman of S&D; He participated in the Department of State's International Visitor Program in 1989;-- Wolfgang Kreissl-Dorfler (Germany, S&D): Also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Kreissl-Doffler was a very active and U.S.-critical MEP in the EP's temporary committee on CIA flights and renditions; -- Sir Robert Atkins (UK, ECR): A senior British conservative MEP who has held many ministerial posts in the past, Atkins is a self-described "friend of the U.S". He told us he is very happy to be in the delegation as his son is currently working for Burston-Marsteller in Washington DC; --Anneli Jaatteenmaki (Finland, ALDE): Former Finnish Prime Minister, Jaatteenmaki resigned in 2003 under pressure over the accusation that she had lied to Parliament and the public over how she had acquired confidential Foreign Ministry documents which she used during the election campaign. These documents contained diplomatic information from a meeting between President Georges W. Bush and Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen about Finland's position regarding the Iraq war. She was cleared of charges in 2004. She participated in the Department of State's International Visitor Program in 1995; -- Francisco Jose Millan Mon (Spain, EPP): He was responsible for drafting the report on transatlantic relations in the foreign affairs committee in 2009 and worked closely with USEU. He is likely to be an active member; -- Mario Mauro (Italy, EPP): He is very influential in the EPP Italian team - he was chosen by Silvio Berlusconi as his candidate for EP President but did not manage to get the post as it was given to the Polish EPP Jerzy Buzek. In exchange, Mario Mauro was offered the post of chairman of the foreign affairs committee but he refused (not interested) and "gave" it to his fellow EPP/Italian MEP Albertini. Given his interest in Italian politics, he may not be very active in the U.S. delegation despite being potentially influential. He participated in the Department of State's International Visitor Program in 2003; -- Libor Roucek (Czech Republic, S&D): Vice-Chairman of the foreign affairs committee in the last legislature. He is a dedicated and active MEP and may be influential in the U.S. delegation. He is known to be very positive towards increased U.S.-EU relations. He is also married to an American; -- Fiorello Provera(EFD, Italy): First Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, Provera belongs to the small ultra-conservative and euroskeptic group EFD as a member of the Italian "Lega Nord" party. His election as a first vice-chairman elicited the only vocal opposition during the nomination proceedings. The socialists decided to abstain from the acclamation vote as a sign of protest; -- Tunne Kelam (Estonia, EPP): He has been an honorary citizen of the State of Maryland (USA) since 1991; -- Marietta Giannakou (Greece, EPP): A new MEP, she is the former Minister for National Education and Religious Affairs of Greece. Despite undergoing a leg amputation last year, she came back to politics quickly and was elepopean elections. She Friendship Groups betwDreece and the United Se Parliaments of Poland @ey Kovatchev (Bulgaria, EPthe Bulgarian Nationan the European Parliamelic and Monetary Affair -------------- ps of the Committee on Econfairs are full members Canfin (France, Verts/Arship in BRUSSELS 00001404 003 OF 007 the ECON committee, he is Vice-Chairman of the Special Committee on the Financial and Economic Crisis, a temporary committee established for a period of one year by the EP on October 7, 2009, for the purpose of analyzing the extent of the financial crisis and its impact on the EU. Canfin also works as a French journalist. He is also a shadow rapporteur for the Greens on the Alternative Investment Fund Managers' directive (Hedge funds and Private equity) that is currently being discussed by the ECON Committee; -- Rachida Dati (France, EPP): A controversial and iconic political figure in France, Dati comes from modest Algerian origins. She was chosen by President Sarkozy to be Minister of Justice in 2007 but was pressured to quit the government in 2009 and run for the European elections. We are not expecting her to accomplish much substantive work in the EP as she already announced her intentions to run in the French municipal elections. She is also a member of the Special committee on the financial and economic crisis; -- Derk Jan Eppink (Belgium, ECR): Dutch national but elected as member of Belgian Lijst Dedecker, former member of Commissioner Bolkestein's Cabinet. He participated on the Department of State's International Visitor Program in 2007; -- Peter Skinner (UK, S&D): A member of the previous D-US and well-known for his expertise on financial markets. During the previous legislature, he was the rapporteur on the Solvency II Directive as well as the Reinsurance Directive. He is a long-term valuable contact for USEU. His wife is American and works for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Brussels; -- Corien Wortmann-Kool (Netherlands, EPP): Vice-President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament. MEP since 2004. She was Deputy Director of the Dutch Transport Ministry. She is also a member of the Special committee on the financial and economic crisis. Committee on Industry, Research and Energy -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Seven members of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy sit on the D-US: -- Reinhard Butikofer (Germany, Verts/ALE): Former Chairman and Secretary General of the German Green Party. Newly-elected MEP; -- Romana Jordan Cizelj (Slovenia, EPP): Slovenian politician and physicist. Holds a PhD in nuclear engineering. Member of the Management Board and also the Secretary of the University Science Forum, as well as the President of the Nuclear Society of Slovenia; -- Judith Merkies (Netherlands, S&D): Dutch politician born in London. Worked as a lawyer for the EU's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and was Executive Manager of the European Music Office from 2005-2006; -- Claude Turmes (Luxembourg, Verts/ALE): He is one of the few MEPs that has genuine expertise in energy policy, having held various offices in the Luxembourg Ecology Movement since 1989. Secretary of "Friends of the Earth Europe". He has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the European Environmental Bureau from 1989 to 1991 and was Vice-Chairman of the Green Group in the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004; -- Marita Ulvskog (Sweden, S&D): Former Swedish Minister for Public Administration from 1994 to 1996 and Minister for Culture from 1996 to 2004. She is also a member of the Special committee on the financial and economic crisis; -- Brian Crowley (Ireland, ALDE): Irish politician from the Fianna Fil party and an MEP for the South constituency. Former Co-President of the UEN (Europe of the Nations) group. He stated in an interview with The Irish Times on 29 September 2008 that he would like to run for President of Ireland in 2011; -- Niki Tzavela (Greece, EFD): elected second vice-chairwoman of the D-US. New member of the small, right-wing and euroskeptic EFD group. Former board member of Harvard University's Kennedy School and former vice-president of "Athens 2004" (Olympic Games); touted as someone who will be very influential in the Delegation; -- Catherine Trautmann (France, S&D): A substitute member of the Industry Committee, but worth mentioning as she is the main rapporteur for the Telecommunications package. Former French Culture Minister in the socialist Jospin government. Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) The Environment Committee has four members on the D-US: -- Sergio Berlato (Italy, EPP): Former Minister for Agriculture for the Veneto Region. MEP since 1999. From 2001 to 2006 he was special adviser to Italian Agriculture Minister Alemanno. Vice-President of the Intergroup "Sustainable Hunting, Biodiversity, Rural Activities, Agriculture and Forestry" in the European Parliament; -- Karl-Heinz Florenz (Germany, EPP): former chairman of the Environment Committee and drafter of the EP report on climate change; -- Radvile Morkunaite (Lithuania, EPP): twenty-five year old MEP BRUSSELS 00001404 004 OF 007 elected in 2009. Former Chair of the Young Conservative League of Lithuania. Submitted a Petition to the European Parliament in 2007 on the environmental consequences of the Nord Stream pipeline; -- Bas Eickhout (Netherlands, Greens): Climate expert. While completing a degree in chemistry and environmental science at the Radboud University Nijmegen (NL) between 1994 and 2000, he did internships at the science store Nijmegen and in the United States. He has had significant experience with environmental and climate change issues: he has worked as a researcher at the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment since 2000 and helped in the drafting of the IPCC report on climate change. Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) The Internal Market Committee has two full members on the D-US: -- Catherine Stihler (UK, S&D): British Labour MEP for Scotland. Founding member of the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform. Editor of the Parliament Magazine since 2002; -- Alan Kelly (Ireland, S&D): Participated in the Citizen Exchanges program in 1999. He received a Certificate in Leadership from Boston College, USA, in 1999. Committee on Agriculture -------------- ¶12. (SBU) The Agriculture Committee has only one member sitting on the D-US: -- Krisztina Morvai (Hungary, NI): She is a practicing Human Rights lawyer, and is also an associate professor at the Budapest University. She was the Hungarian member of a UN Women's Rights Committee and also worked for the European Commission of Human Rights in the 1990's. In 1993-1994 she taught law in the United States at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a Fulbright scholar. Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs -------------- -------------- ¶13. (SBU) The Civil Liberties committee has 3 full members on the D-US: -- Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (Netherlands, ALDE): She is the ALDE coordinator in the Civil Liberties Committee. Worked for the European Commission (1995-1998) and the Commission's delegation in Riga, Latvia (1998-2000). Political assistant to the Amsterdam City Council (2000-2002); -- Timothy Kirkhope (UK, ECR): MEP since 1999. Leader of the British Conservatives in the European Parliament. Former UK Under-Secretary of State, Lord Commissioner to the Treasury (1992),Vice-Chamberlain of the Household (1995); -- Baroness Sarah Ludford (UK, ALDE): elected first vice-chairwoman of the D-US, she was a vocal opponent of the Bush administration's war against terrorism. She is a strong advocate of data privacy and a strong opponent of the PNR and SWIFT agreement. A member of the previous delegation, she embarrassed some other members when, during one of the TALD trips, she told the press that Colin Powell was "the only person that was not completely mad in the U.S. government; -- Stavros Lambrinidis (Greece, S&D): Not a full member of the Civil Liberties Committee, but worth mentioning here because he is influential, both personally and in his role as Vice-President of the European Parliament, where LIBE issues will be his main concern. A LIBE member in the previous Parliament, Lambrinidis studied in the U.S.: (Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in political sciences and economics (Amherst College, USA, 1984) and Juris Doctor (J.D.) (Yale Law School, USA, 1988) and worked as a lawyer with Wilmer, Cutler and ashington D.C. (1988-1993 District of Colombia 1990. Served as speQndersecretary of Foreinister of Education. Lthe AcQpporteur on the Co Served as Minister of JQstice in the 2005-2007 PiS government. Former Qublic Prosecutor General. Ziobro was one of the top vote getters in Poland in the EP elections, is close to PiS party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, and is often touted as a possible next generation leader BRUSSELS 00001404 005 OF 007 of the party. But he was controversial for what many saw as a politicization of his anti-corruption efforts during his tenure as Minister of Justice. International Trade Committee -------------- ¶15. (SBU) The International Trade Committee has only 1 full member on the D-US: -- Helmut Scholz (Germany, GUE/NGL): Member of DIE LINKE, formerly active in the GDR's SED Party. Since 2004 member of the Executive Board of the European Left Party and its secretariat. Participated in the Department of State's International Visitor Program in 2001. Studied at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (1974-1980),worked for the GDR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Was Domestic and Cultural Attach at the GDR Embassy in China (1983-1986. Budgets Committee -------------- ¶16. (SBU) The Budgets Committee has one full member on the D-US: -- Daniel van der Stoep (Netherlands, NI): Member of Geert Wilders' Freedom Party. Newly elected MEP. Studied European and International Law at Leiden University. Committee on Development -------------- ¶17. (SBU) The Development Committee also has one representative on the D-US: -- Corina Cretu (Romania, S&D): She is a Romanian politician and journalist, having been elected as an MEP in 2007 following Romania's accession to the EU. She worked for President Iliescu's Spokesperson Office during two separate mandates (in 1992-1996 and in 2000-2004); between 2000 and 2004, Cretu was Presidential Advisor (with the rank of Minister),Presidential Spokesperson and Head of the Public Communication Department. She is also a member of the Special committee on the financial and economic crisis. Constitutional Affairs Committee -------------- ¶18. (SBU) The Constitutional Affairs Committee has five full members on the D-US: -- Matthias Groote (Germany, S&D): Mechanical engineer by training. MEP since October 2005. -- Roberto Gualtieri (Italy, S&D): Professor in Contemporary History at the University of Rome. Published a number of books and articles on Italian history, European integration; -- Rafal Kazimierz Trzaskowski (Poland, EPP): Research fellow at the European Centre - Natolin (since 1997). PhD at the Warsaw University - International Relations Department. Between 2001 and 2000 was adviser in the political cabinet of Jacek Saryusz-Wolski - Poland's then Minister for European Integration; -- Paulo Rangel (Portugal, EPP): Head of the Portuguese delegation in the EPP. Former Deputy Secretary of State for the Portuguese Ministry of Justice. Former leader of the Partido Social Democrata in the Portuguese parliament; -- Jozsef Szajer (Hungary, EPP): Vice-Chairman of the EPP. Lawyer. Former member of the European Convention. Knight Commander of St Michael and St George - Queen Elizabeth II. . He was a Research Fellow at the University of Michigan from 1988 to 1989. Fisheries Committee -------------- ¶19. (SBU) There is only one member of the Fisheries Committee in the D-US: -- Catherine Trautmann (France, S&D): See ITRE committee. Committee on Culture and Education -------------- ¶20. (SBU) The Culture and Education Committee has two full members on the D-US: -- Maria Badia i Cutchet (Spain, S&D): Vice-Chairwoman of the S&D Group. Catalan. Former English language teacher. Former Secretary for European and International Policy in the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC); -- Marietje Schaake (Netherlands, ALDE): Originally from Leiden, she attended college in the United States, pursuing a Liberal Arts BRUSSELS 00001404 006 OF 007 degree at Wittenburg University in Ohio. Schaake was later granted the Lantos Fellowship of the United States House of Representatives, where she focused on international relations and human rights issues. She also served as an independent advisor to the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands and to the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights in Washington, DC. Schaake specialized in topics like transatlantic relations, diversity, integration, civil rights and Muslims in the West. Employment and Social Affairs Committee -------------- ¶21. (SBU) The Employment Committee has 2 full members on the D-US: -- Marian Harkin (Ireland, ALDE): Former Mathematics Teacher and former Member of Irish Parliament. Harkin met with then Senator Hillary Clinton in 2007 to lobby on behalf of undocumented Irish immigrants. MEP since 2004; -- Elisabeth Morin-Chartier (France, EPP): Member of the Viticulture-Tradition-Quality Intergroup. Former history and geography teacher. Held various positions in the field of education policy. Former member of the French Economic and Social Council. MEP since 2009. Committee on Regional Development -------------- ¶22. (SBU) The Regional Development Committee has 3 full members on the D-US: -- Danuta Maria Hubner (Poland, EPP): Former Commissioner for Regional Policy. Professor of Economics. As Minister for European Affairs she prepared Poland's accession to the EU. She was a Fulbright scholar at Berkeley University of California from 1988 to 1990; -- Sean Kelly (Ireland, EPP): Former teacher, from a farming background. Former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association and former Executive Chairman of the Irish Institute of Sport; -- Viktor Uspaskich (Lithuania, ALDE): Born in 1959 in northern Russia. Studied at the Moscow Academy of National Economy. With his company, he was involved in the construction of a number of international natural gas and oil pipelines. Former President of the Lithuanian Business Employers' Confederation. Daughter Julia from his first marriage studied at the University of Washington. Committee on Petitions -------------- ¶23. (U) The Petitions Committee has only one member on the D-US: -- Judith A. Merkies (Netherlands, S&D): See ITRE committee Subcommittee on Security and Defence -------------- ¶24. (U) The SEDE committee has 4 full members on the D-US: -- Tunne Kelam (Estonia, EPP): See AFET committee; -- Andrey Kovatchev (Bulgaria, EPP): See AFET committee; -- Reinhard Butikofer (Germany, Verts/ALE): See ITRE committee; -- Roberto Gualtieri (Italy, S&D): See AFCO committee. Subcommittee on Human Rights -------------- ¶25. (U) The Human Rights Subcommittee has one representative on the D-US: -- Marietta Giannakou (Greece, EPP): See AFET committee ¶26. (U) Notably, the Transport Committee, the Budgetary Control Committee, and the Women's Rights Committee do not have any of their members on the D-US. -------------- Nationality and Political Group Affiliation -------------- ¶27. (U) The division of seats in the D-US according to nationality is not proportionate to the composition of the full EP membership. The number of D-US members coming from the same member state seems to be more influenced by the 'transatlantic orientation' of a particular member state than by the size of its national delegation in the EP. For instance, together with the German MEPs on the D-US, the Dutch members hold six of the fifty-three seats in the D-US, while in the entire parliament, the Dutch only hold twenty-five of the seven-hundred and thirty-six EP seats (= 3.4 percent). These member states are followed by the UK and France, which each have BRUSSELS 00001404 007 OF 007 five seats on the Delegation. Four members have Italian nationality and four are Irish. The Polish and the Greek EP delegations each have three members in the D-US, while Hungary, Spain and Lithuania each have two. Finland, Estonia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Sweden, Romania and Portugal all have one MEP on the Delegation. ¶28. (U) As could be expected, the division of seats on the D-US according to political group membership does mirror the composition of the full parliament (seats are allocated to political groups using the "d'Hondt system", which ensures proportional representation). The center-right EPP holds nineteen seats on the Delegation, the S&D group fourteen, the Liberal-Democrats (ALDE) seven, the Greens four, the European Conservatives also four, the Euroskeptic EFD two and the United European Left (former Communists) one. -------------- USG Exchange Program Alumni -------------- ¶29. (U) Eight members of the D-US are alumni of the Department of State's exchange programs: DERK-JAN EPPINK; DANUTA HUBNER; ANNELI JDDTTEENMDKI; ALAN KELLY; MARIO MAURO; KRISZTINA MORVAI; HELMUT SCHOLZ; HANNES SWOBODA. MURRAY