Clara Grojean
Ever wondered what you would have to do if you were actually working on a European parliamentary committee? Here’s a sneak peek of what your day would look like!
8.00am
You start off with a breakfast with delegation members of your European party, because you know, food.
10.00am
Then you have a meeting with your committee. Most of your work happens there. Your committee is one among 20 that do exist at the Parliament. It is made up of 24 to 71 people. You get to prepare the plenary assembly, you examine the proposals from the commission and the council of the EU, and if needed draw up a report (or more likely your chair and vice-chairs appoint someone as reporter to do it for your committee). You can suggest amendments to the EU directive proposed by the commission.
12.00am
You go to the plenary session to vote, along with your 750 fellow deputies. The session usually lasts for an hour and a half. The texts are presented then discussed. The reports supplied by the committees can be put to the vote in order to complete the directives.
1.30pm
Then a quick lunch with members of your party (again). In the afternoon you have to take part in the shooting of a promotional video about the parliament before engaging in activities such as meeting up with lobbyists from a bank if you’re on ECON or with a law firm of you’re on AFCO.
5.00pm
Back to the plenary for the final vote of the day. You’re presenting a series of amendments that your European party has requested you push for. The amendments are voted by a show of hands and validated.
7.00pm
Last item on the agenda for today for the day is a conference on smartgrids and the future energy market in Europe.
So are you game for another day?