Name: Committee on Constitutional Affairs Ordinary meeting
Uploaded: 2026-07-15T13:37:13+00:00
Duration: 10729 s

00:05 - 03:03

Speaker 3

So, colleagues, please take your seats that we can resume this committee meeting. I would like to thank my Vice-Chair Gaby Bischoff first of all that you replaced me this morning on short notice. Thank you very much for that. Item number six, Chair's announcement concerning the coordinators' recommendations. At their meeting this afternoon, the coordinators decided the following.

First, they agreed to launch the procedure to draw up a report on the amendments to the Rules of Procedure to allow for proxy vote for members during pregnancy and after childbirth. Coordinators agreed to have missions to Australia, India, Montenegro and Switzerland in 2027. If either Australia or India cannot take place, the mission shall be to Addis Ababa, the African Union in Ethiopia. Third, coordinators agreed to organize a symposium on the EU governance structure taking in account future enlargement. One panel will focus on the common values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.

And finally, coordinators agreed not to organize an event during the Gender Equality Week and not to update the Gender Action Plan from 2018 since it is still in shape. If there are no objections, those recommendations are endorsed. Item number two, the election of the fourth Vice-Chair of the committee. Ladies and gentlemen, at the plenary sitting of 18 May, the European Parliament took note that Péter Magyar had been elected member of the Hungarian Parliament, an office incompatible with that of member of the European Parliament and in accordance with Rule 4 of the Rules of Procedure established the vacancy of his seat with effect from 9 May this year. With effect from that same date, Mr. Magyar also ceased to be the fourth Vice-Chair of the committee, the position being vacant since then.

On 9th July, I received a request pursuant to Rule 219 of the Rules of Procedure from the EPP Group for the organization of the election for the position of fourth Vice-Chair of the AFCO Committee during the committee meeting scheduled for today. With over one quarter of members present, the quorum required for a valid vote has been reached. The secretariat took note of substitutes. And with that, I invite political groups to nominate their candidates for the election of the fourth Vice-Chair. And therefore, I give the floor to Loránt Vincze for the EPP.

03:03 - 03:26

Speaker 4

Thank you, Chair, and dear colleagues, it is my pleasure to nominate on behalf of the EPP Group for the position of fourth Vice-Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs Mr. Csaba Molnár, member of this committee, and recommend his support to the political groups. Thank you very much.

03:26 - 03:34

Speaker 2

Thank you very much for this proposal. Colleague Csaba Molnár, do you consent to being nominated? Yes or no?

03:34 - 03:36

Speaker 1

Yes, thank you.

03:36 - 03:59

Speaker 3

Colleagues, the candidate has completed all three declarations. First, the declaration of private interests, second, the declaration relating to the code of appropriate behavior, and third, declaration on awareness of conflict of interest and has declared not to be aware of any conflict of interest in relation to the responsibilities of the office. Yes. Reinier van Lanschot.

03:59 - 04:36

Speaker 11

Yes, thanks. Before we enter into the vote or acclamation of the candidate, I would like to make one small point of order and that is that in our original agreement and according to rule 219 of the committee bureau, there is the rule that gender balance should apply to a committee bureau and I know we are deviating from it and I just want to make that clear. We have a derogation from it for that from two years ago, so it is okay, but I do want to have it mentioned because it's deviating from what it's supposed to be.

04:36 - 04:43

Speaker 5

Thank you very much. Does the candidate wish to introduce himself?