EP Committee Chairs and Commissioners discuss legislative priorities for 2015

In a first joint working meeting held on Tuesday evening, Parliament's Committee chairs and the College of Commissioners discussed the priorities of the Commission’s upcoming 2015 work programme and considered the possible withdrawal of some pending legislative proposals.

Jerzy Buzek (EPP, PL)"The meeting was the first step in what is becoming an exceptionally close cooperation between the Commission and Parliament’s committees, to result in concrete deliverable legislative actions for the next 365 days”, said, President of the Conference of the Committee Chairs Jerzy Buzek, after the meeting.

“The European Commission is an administrative institution, but Jean-Claude Juncker has given it a much more political character. President Juncker, as well as his Vice-Presidents, most of whom are former prime ministers, understand very well the need of a frank, operational, everyday dialogue with the Parliament”, Mr Buzek added.

He welcomed the proposal that the annual meeting of the College of Commissioners with the Conference of Committee Chairs should from now on take place twice a year, reflecting the reinforced political partnership between the two institutions. As Chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, he will pay particular attention to the follow-up given to Parliament’s legislative initiative reports.

Mr Buzek recalled that the parliamentary committees and the Conference of Committee Chairs come from all political groups and bring together both expertise and a strong mandate derived from direct elections. “They will play a key role in the definition and implementation of the legislative working programme”, he said

The Commission’s 2015 work programme is scheduled to be discussed and approved at Parliament’s December plenary session.

REF. : 20141203IPR82508

Updated: ( 04-12-2014 - 11:13)