The Parliamentary Committees

The 20 parliamentary committees of the European Parliament are the “specialised” entities in which most of the legislative work is undertaken. They meet publicly once or twice a month in Brussels to prepare community legislation (regulations, directives, etc.).

For each legislative text put forward by the European Commission, the competent committee at the European Parliament appoints a “rapporteur” who writes a draft report, which he presents to the members of his parliamentary committee. Together they study and suggest amendments to the draft before adopting them via a vote.

The report, which is approved by the committee, is then ready for adoption during the plenary session.

The political distribution of the committee members reflects the political composition of the European Parliament.

All of the MEPs are members of a parliamentary committee and substitute members of another.

The European Parliament can also create temporary committees (e.g. the temporary committee on climate change), sub-committees (e.g. the Security and Defence sub-committee, which answers to the Foreign Affairs Commission), as well as Committees of Inquiry, and special committees.

 

The Special Committees

The special committees are temporary entities created to deal with specific problems. The Parliament can create these committees at any time with a mandate of 12 months that can be extended.

A special committee on terrorism was set up on 14th September 2017.

A special committee on the procedure to authorise the use of pesticides by the Union was established on 2nd February 2018.

A special committee on financial crime, tax fraud and tax evasion was established on 1st March 2018.

Prior to this there was a special committee on:
• Tax rulings and other similar measures due to their nature or their effect (TAXE) established on 12th February 2015, whose work was finalised on 30th November 2015.
• Tax Rulings and other similar measures due to their nature or their effect (TAXE 2) established on 2nd December 2015, whose work was finalised on 2nd August 2016.

During the 2019-2024 legislature :

A special committee on artificial intelligence in the digital era was established on 18th of June 2020 (AIDA)

A special committee on beating cancer was established on 23rd of September 2020 (BECA)

A special committee on foreign interferences in democratic processes in the European Union (INGE) was established on 18th of June 2020 and extended in a second special committee on 28th of April 2022 (ING2)

A special committee on the lessons learned during the  COVID-19 pandemic was established on 10th of March 2022 (COVI)

The Committees of Inquiry

The Committees of Inquiry, whose powers are based on the European Parliament’s supervisory power are responsible for investigating breaches of community law or allegations of poor administration in the implementation of EU law.

Two Committees of Inquiry have been established during the 2014-2019 legislature :
• on the measurement of emissions in the automotive sector (EMIS) established on 17th December 2015, whose work was finalised on 4th April 2017.
• on money laundering, tax avoidance and tax fraud (PANA) established on 8th June 2016, whose work was finalised on 13th December 2017.

Two Committees of Inquiry have been established during the current 2019-2024 legislature:

  • On the Protection of animals during transport (ANIT) established on 19th of June 2020
  • On the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware  (PEGA), established on 10th of March 2022

→ To consult the complete list of parliamentary committees, click here

 

Standing Committees

The current Chairs and Vice- Chairs of the committees are :

 

Foreign Affairs (AFET):

Chair: David McAllister (EPP, DE)

First Vice-Chair: Hana Jalloul Muro (S&D, ES)

Second Vice-Chair: Urmas Paet (Renew, EE)

Third Vice-Chair: Alberico Gambino (ECR, IT)

Fourth Vice-Chair : Ioan-Rareş Bogdan (EPP, Romania)

 

Subcommittee on Security and Defense (SEDE):

Chair: Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Renew, DE) 

First Vice-Chair: Christophe Gomart (EPP, FR)

Second Vice-Chair: Mihai Tudose (S&D, RO)

Third Vice-Chair: Alberico Gambino (ECR, IT)

Fourth Vice-Chair: Riho Terras (EPP, EE)

 

Subcommittee on Human Rights (DROI): 

Chair: Mounir Satouri (Greens/EFA, FR)

First Vice-Chair: Marta Temido (S&D, PT)

Second Vice-Chair: Łukasz Kohut (EPP, PL)

Third Vice-Chair:

Fourth Vice-Chair:

 

Development (DEVE):

Chair: Barry Andrews (Renew, IE)

First Vice-Chair: Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, SE)

Second Vice-Chair: Hildegarde Bentele (EPP, DE)

Third Vice-Chair: Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew, SE)

Fourth Vice-Chair: Robert Biedroń (S&D, PL)

 

International Trade (INTA):

Chair: Bernd Lange (S&D, DE)

First Vice-Chair: Manon Aubry (The Left, FR)

Second Vice-Chair: Iuliu Winkler (EPP, RO)

Third Vice-Chair: Karin Karlsbro (Renew, SE)

Fourth Vice-Chair: Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D, BE)

 

Budgets (BUDG):

Chair: Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE)

First Vice-Chair: Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, DE)

Second Vice-Chair: Giuseppe Lupo (S&D, IT)

Third Vice-Chair: Janusz Lewandowski (EPP, PL)

Fourth Vice-Chair: Lucia Yar (Renew, SK)

 

Budgetary Control (CONT):

Chair: Niclas Herbst (EPP, DE)

First Vice-Chair: Caterina Chinnici (EPP, IT)

Second Vice-Chair: Cristian Terheş (ECR, RO) 

Third Vice-Chair: Claudiu Manda (S&D, RO)

Fourth Vice-Chair:

 

Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON):

Chair: Aurore Lalucq (S&D, FR)

First Vice-Chair: Damian Boeselager (Greens/EFA, DE)

Second Vice-Chair: Ludovit Odor (Renew, SK)

Third Vice-Chair: Ludek Niedermayer (EPP, CZ)

Fourth Vice-Chair:

 

Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC):

Chair: Pasquale Tridico (The Left, IT)

First Vice-Chair: Kira Marie Peter-Hansen (Greens/EFA, DK)

Second Vice-Chair: Regina Doherty (EPP, IE)

Third Vice-Chair: Markus Ferber (EPP, DE)

Fourth Vice-Chair: Matthias Ecke (S&D, DE)

 

Employment and Social Affairs Committee (EMPL): 

Chair: Li Andersson (The Left, FI)

First Vice Chair: Johan Danielsson (S&D, SE)

Second Vice Chair: Jagna Marczułajtis-Walaczak (EPP, PL)

Third Vice Chair: Katrin Langensiepen (Greens/EFA, DE)

Fourth Vice Chair:

 

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI): 

Chair: Antonio DECARO (S&D, IT)

First Vice Chair: Esther HERRANZ GARCÍA (EPP, ES)

Second Vice Chair: Pietro FIOCCHI (ECR, IT)

Third Vice Chair: Anja Hazekamp (The Left, NL)

Fourth Vice Chair: András Tivadar KULJA (EPP, HU)

 

Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT):

Chair: Adam JARUBAS (EPP, PL)

First Vice Chair: Tilly Metz (Greens/EFA, LU)

Second Vice Chair: Stine BOSSE (Renew, DK)

Third Vice Chair: Romana JERKOVIĆ (S&D, HR)

Fourth Vice Chair: Emmanouil FRAGKOS (ECR, GR)

 

Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE):

Chair: Borys Budka (EPP, PL)

First Vice Chair: Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D, BG)

Second Vice Chair: Elena Donazzan (ECR, IT)

Third Vice Chair: Giorgio Gori (S&D, IT)

Fourth Vice Chair: Yvan Verougstraete (Renew, BE)

 

Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO):

Chair: Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA, DE)

First Vice Chair: Christian Doleschal (EPP, DE)

Second Vice Chair: Nikola Minchev (Renew, BG)

Third Vice Chair: Maria Grapini (S&D, RO)

Fourth Vice Chair: Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz (EPP, PL)

 

Transport and Tourism (TRAN):

Chair: Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi (EPP, GR)

First Vice Chair: Virginijus Sinkevičius (Greens/EFA, FR)

Second Vice Chair: Sophia Kircher (EPP, AT)

Third Vice Chair: Elena Kountoura (The Left, GR)

Fourth Vice Chair: Matteo Ricci (S&D, IT)

 

Regional Development (REGI):

Chair: Adrian-Dragoș Benea (S&D, RO)

First Vice Chair: Gabriella Gerzsenyi (EPP, HU) 

Second Vice Chair: Nora Mebarek (S&D, FR)

Third Vice Chair: Francesco Ventola (ECR, IT)

Fourth Vice Chair: Ľubica Karvašová (Renew, SK)

 

Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI):

Chair: Veronika Vrecionová (ECR, CZ) 

First Vice Chair: Daniel Buda (EPP, RO)

Second Vice Chair: Norbert Lins (EPP, DE)

Third Vice Chair: Eric Sargiacomo (S&D, FR)

Fourth Vice Chair:

 

Fisheries (PECH):

Chair: Carmen Crespo Díaz (EPP, ES)

First Vice Chair: Sander Smit (EPP, NL)

Second Vice Chair: Giuseppe Milazzo (ECR, IT)

Third Vice Chair: Stéphanie Yon-Curtin (Renew, FR)

Fourth Vice Chair: Jessica Polfjärd (EPP, SV)

 

Culture and Education (CULT):

Chair: Nela Riehl (Greens/EFA, DE)

First Vice Chair: Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (EPP, PL)

Second Vice Chair: Emma Rafowicz (S&D, FR)

Third Vice Chair: Diana Riba I Giner (Greens/EFA, DE)

Fourth Vice Chair: Hristo Petrov (Renew, BG)

 

Legal Affairs (JURI):

Chair: Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew, BG)

First Vice Chair: Marion Walsmann (EPP, DE)

Second Vice Chair: Mario Mantovani (ECR, IT)

Third Vice Chair: Lara Wolters (S&D, NL)

Fourth Vice Chair: Emil Radev (EPP, BG)

 

Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE):

Chair: Javier Zarzalejos (EPP, ES)

First Vice Chair: Marina Kaljurand (S&D, EE)

Second Vice Chair: Charlie Weimers (ECR, SE)

Third Vice Chair: Alessandro Zan (S&D, IT)

Fourth Vice Chair: Estrella Galán (The Left, ES)

 

Constitutional Affairs (AFCO):

Chair: Sven Simon (EPP, DE)

First Vice Chair: Gabriele Bischoff (S&D, DE)

Second Vice Chair: Adrián Vazquez Lazara (EPP, ES)

Third Vice Chair: Charles Goerens (Renew, LU)

Fourth Vice Chair: Péter Magyar (PPE, HU)

 

Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM):

Chair: Lina Gálvez (S&D, ES)

First Vice Chair: Dainius Žalimas (Renew, LT)

Second Vice Chair: Irene Montero (The Left, ES)

Third Vice Chair: Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (EPP, ES)

Fourth Vice Chair: Predrag Fred Matić (S&D, HR)

 

Petitions (PETI):

Chair: Bogdan RZOŃCA (ECR, PL)

First Vice Chair: Dolors MONTSERRAT (EPP, ES)

Second Vice Chair: Fredis BELERIS (EPP, GR)

Third Vice Chair:Nils UŠAKOVS (S&D, LV)

Fourth Vice Chair: Cristina GUARDA (Greens/EFA, ES)