EPP Group
Group of the European People's Party
The European People's Party forms the biggest group out of seven in the European Parliament after gaining 265 seats (in the 736 seat EP) on the 2009 elections. The Group brings together centre and centre-right pro-European political forces from 26 Member States of the EU.
Chairman of the Group is Joseph Daul whose work is supported by the Chairmanship. Hungarian MEP József Szájer - responsible for the legislative work of the Group- is one of the 10 Vice-Chairmen. The Chairmanship is working closely with the EPP Coordinators of the 20 EP Committees and the heads of national delegations of the Group. Since fall 2010 the Head of the Hungarian Delegation is András Gyürk. The operational needs of the Group are serviced by Secretariat, providing policy and organisational support.
Most of the parties represented in the EPP Group also belong to the European People's Party (EPP). The European People’s Party is the political family of the centre-right, whose roots run deep in the history and civilisation of the European continent and has pioneered the European project from its inception. The EPP was founded in 1976 and in the 1979 elections they signed a cooperation agreement and created a common group. Tracing back its roots to Europe’s Founding Fathers - Robert Schuman, Alcide De Garperi, and Konrad Adenauer - EPP is committed to a strong Europe, based on a federal model that relies on the principle of subsidiarity.
Strength of numbers also ensures that EPP Group Members hold a range of key positions within the Parliament - including Jerzy Buzek EP President, 5 of its 14 Vice-Presidents, 2 of its 5 Quaestors and the Chairmanships of 10 of the EP's 22 Committees or Subcommittees. Within the parliamentary committees, EPP Group Members are best placed to secure the right to author the EP's position on key pieces of draft legislation and other major reports: the Group gets more of these rapporteurships on more important subjects, than any other group. This has even more significance since the coming into force of the Lisbon treaty, thus the EP having more important role among the EU institutions. Due to its seize, the opinion of the Group has a key role in the committee and plenary votes.
The EPP Group highlights belief in a Europe of values, united, open, more human and embracing diversity. The Group wants a Europe which creates opportunity and wealth within a single market, competitive at world level, and which at the same time promotes the wellbeing of everybody, not only in Europe, but also in the rest of the world. EPP Group wishes to see the Union develop a consistent and effective common foreign and security policy and to carry out the institutional reforms necessary to make the Union work more effectively. Using them, all the work reflects the Group's commitment to build a Europe of opportunity, a better Europe for all.
Presidency of the EPP Group:
President: Joseph Daul
Members of the Presidency: Jaime Mayor Oreja, Corien Wortmann-Kool, Szájer József, Manfred Weber, Vito Bonsignore, Othmar Karas, Paulo Rangel, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Ioannis Kasoulides, Gunnar Hökmark
For more information on the EPP-Group visit: www.eppgroup.eu
Presidency of the EPP:
President: Wilfried Martens
Vice Presidents: Herman Van Rompuy; Jerzy Buzek; Joseph Daul; Michel Barnier; Antonio Tajani; Orbán Viktor; Jyrki Katainen; Enda Kenny; Peter Hintze; Mario David; Jacek Saryusz-Wolski; Corien Wortmann-Kool; Rumiana Jeleva.
For more information on the EPP visit: www.epp.eu