LIBE committee in EU centre-right hands

2 months ago 12

The European Parliament LIBE committee, which focuses on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, will be chaired by the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) although for now, in the ongoing negotiations with the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, two different EU Parliament sources told Euractiv.

The discussion is still ongoing in the Conference of Presidents in the European Parliament.

According to two sources, the liberal Renew group had to choose from the “free pot” between the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE) and LIBE.

A source told Euractiv that Renew picked SEDE leaving the LIBE to the ECR.

The other pro-EU forces stepped in, Euractiv was informed, suggesting swapping the LIBE committee with the committee dealing with agriculture (AGRI).

“The LIBE committee will go be in EPP hands, and ECR will get AGRI”, a source close to the talks said, although specified that officially the change has not been made.

“We need to keep Poland’s PiS away from LIBE […] they should have zero influence in this committee,” the source added.

ECR had asked for the LIBE committee at a meeting earlier this week, but pro-EU progressive forces vowed to “do the utmost” to prevent the hard-right from getting the committee.