1. The New Political Context Challenges and Opportunities
Barbara Helfferich
European Anti Poverty Network

2. Overview The New European Parliament The New European Commission
What are Opportunities?
What are the Challenges

3. The New European Parliament

4. The new political context in the EP
EP is considerably different from that of the last mandate for several reasons.
The S&D has enlarged relative to EPP
EPP still the biggest group
The Gue on the left has grown significantly, as has ECR on the right.
Less predictable outcomes
EPP and S&D Group/political

5. Political Groups in the EP
Three groups will decide voting outcomes
S&D – supportive in general of EAPN
EPP – not really developed relations
Alde (Swing vote) – liberal –will support more democracy in the Semester, but otherwise unpredictable
GUE – European United Left
ECR – European Conservatives and Conformists
EFD – Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy

6. KEY Parliamentary Committees
Employment Committee and Economic Committee
Work on AGS in February-produce 2 separate reports
Rapporteurs work on key issues before the Spring Council
EP Semester Working Groups

7. Specific Opportunities in relation to the new EP
Inputting into the reports of the Committees
Own Initiative Reports by the EP, ie Interinstitutional Agreement
Shaping the Hearings of the Commissioners
Intergroups
Monitoring ESF

8. The New Commission More political – 18 Prime ministers and ministers
More complete restructuring of the responsibilities within the European Commission
DGs and personnel will change
Work programmes of the DG are being prepared now
Decisions on consultation and annual convention will wait until the new Commissioner has taken up her mandate.

9. President Junckers’ Priorities
“I want to work for a Union that is committed to democracy and reform; that is not meddlesome but works for its citizens rather than against them. I want to work for a Union that delivers."
"My number one priority and the connecting thread running through each and every proposal will be getting Europe growing again and getting people back to work. To do this, within the first three months of my mandate, I will present a Jobs, Growth and Investment Package to generate an extra EUR 300 billion in investment over the next three years."
"SMEs are the backbone of our economies, creating 85% of new jobs in Europe – we can't bury them in paperwork. We must unshackle them from burdensome regulation."
"It is in everyone's interest that energy not be used as a political tool. It's time Europe stood tall on its own feet, pooling our resources, combining infrastructures and uniting our negotiating power."
"The rescue of the euro was necessary but was weak on the social side. It is unacceptable to me that workers and retired people had to shoulder the burden of structural reform programmes, while ship owners and financial speculators became even richer. In the future we need a more democratically legitimate replacement for the Troika and thorough social impact assessments for any new support programmes.“
"We need more solidarity in our immigration policy. I will step up cooperation with third countries to deal with irregular migration more robustly and I will promote a new European policy on legal migration to put Europe on the map as a favourite destination for talent."

10. Restructuring the European Commission
DGs have new names – DG EMPL – Inclusion dropped replaced by skills and mobility
DG EMPL gets vocational training and adult educations from DG Education
DG Empl gets Labour market analysis
Internal restructuring with DG EMPL – without the Commissioner’s input
No clear work programme yet established- first draft is circulating taking account of Junker/Marianne Thyssen
Deadline for all this is the 1st of November – new Commission takes up mandate

11. Links with Member States
Semester officers in place
Expert networks in the Member States will be redefined
MEPs need to maintain their constitutencies- success of EMIN
Engaging national Parliaments

12. Thank you for your attention!
Barbara Helfferich