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European Parliament

In more than 23 years as a member of the European Parliament, the only directly elected EU institution, I was able to implement many initiatives. Since the beginning of my political mandate, research and innovation as well as our small and medium-sized enterprises have been of particular concern to me.

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Since the beginning of my political mandate, research and innovation as well as SMEs have been of particular concern to me.

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In the past few years I have succeeded in setting up an independent funding program for SMEs with COSME. With the „Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs“ program that I initiated, the promotion of entrepreneurship became an integral part of the European Union’s programs.

Another focus was the implementation of the digital single market. A milestone was set here with the abolition of roaming surcharges. With the successful trade agreements, the EU was positioned as a global player and can now implement high European standards worldwide.

As a budget negotiator, optimal funding for research, innovation and universities is very important to me. This could also be achieved with the EU budget 2019. Not only Erasmus +, one of the most successful EU programs, could be better equipped, but also Horizon 2020, the largest research funding program.

After many years and five successful ballots, I have decided to put the responsibility in the European Parliament into new hands.

Here is an overview of my work in the European Parliament

Committees in chronological order:

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection

Member

Delegation to the European Economic Area Joint Parliamentary Committee (EEA)

Member

Delegation for relations with the United States

Member

Committee on External Economic Relations

Substitute

Temporary committee of inquiry into the Community Transit System

Substitute

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy

Member

Subcommittee on Monetary Affairs

Member

Delegation for relations with the Member States of ASEAN, South-east Asia and the Republic of Korea

Substitute

Delegation to the EU-Slovak Republic Joint Parliamentary Committe

Vice-Chair

Committee on Budgets

Substitute

Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

Member

Temporary committee on human genetics and other new technologies in modern medicine

Substitute

Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway

Vice-Chair

Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

Member

Delegation for relations with Australia and New Zealand

Substitute

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Member

Committee on Budgetary Control

Substitute

Temporary Committee on Climate Change

Substitute

Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

Member

Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula

Substitute

Committee on Budgetary Control

Member

Delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union

Vice-Chair

Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean

Member

Committee on Budgets

Member

Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

Substitute

Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

Vice-Chair

Committee on Development

Substitute

Committee on International Trade

Substitute

Reports and Opinions

Reports as Rapporteur:

Community action programme promoting nongovernmental organizations primarily active in the field of environmental protection

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection

Standardization and the global information society: "the European approach”

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy

Innovation in a knowledge-driven economy

Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

Operation of the Euratom Safeguards Office 1999-2000

Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

Multiannual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) 2001-2005

Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy

Establishing a multiannual Community programme to make digital content in Europe more accessible, usable and exploitable

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Roaming on public mobile networks within the Community and amending Directive 2002/21/EC on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Participation by the Community in a research and development programme aimed at supporting research and development performing SMEs undertaken by several Member States

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs): competitiveness and business opportunities

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund

Committee on Budgets

ECSEL Joint Undertaking

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the SESAR Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion Energy for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Artemis Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the ENIAC Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking for the financial year 2012

Committee on Budgetary Control

Mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund in accordance with point 13 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 2 December 2013 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management

Committee on Budgets

Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2019

Committee on Budgets

Draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019

Committee on Budgets

WTO: the way forward

Committee on International Trade

Reports as Shadow Rapporteur:

Effective raw materials strategy for Europe

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Financing for Development

Committee on Development

Green growth opportunities for SMEs

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Rules for wholesale roaming markets

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Establishing the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre and the Network of National Coordination Centres

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Opinions as Rapporteur:

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on environmental quality standards in the field of water policy and amending Directive 2000/60/EC

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Enforcement of intellectual property rights in the internal market

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (2014-2020)

Committee on Budgets

Preparation of the post-electoral revision of the MFF 2014-2020: Parliament’s input ahead of the Commission’s proposal

Committee on Development

The next MFF: Preparing the Parliament’s position on the MFF post-2020

Committee on Development

Establishing the Digital Europe programme for the period 2021-2027

Committee on Budgets

Establishing the Programme for single market, competitiveness of enterprises, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and European statistics and repealing Regulations (EU) No 99/2013, (EU) No 1287/2013, (EU) No 254/2014, (EU) No 258/2014, (EU) No 652/2014 and (EU) 2017/826

Committee on Budgets

Opinions as Shadow Rapporteur:

Future of European standardisation

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Financing for Development

Committee on Budgets

How best to harness the job creation potential of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

Committee on Budgets

Promotion of Internet connectivity in local communities

Committee on Budgets