Intergroup’s Launch Cocktail Reception – Report
On the 15th of October 2014, MEP Pavel Poc, new appointed Chair of the Intergroup on “Climate Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Development”, hosted a cocktail reception in the European Parliament in Brussels to present the new mission and structure of the Intergroup for the mandate 2014-2019. This was also the occasion to present to the public the newly elected MEPs who joined the Intergroup for the upcoming mandate, each of them chairing or co-chairing the 11 working groups.
The reception was attended by a large number of participants, representing European Institutions, international organisations, the private sector, NGOs and civil society.
Alongside MEP Pavel Poc on the podium, several partners and stakeholders took the floor to reiterate the importance of this platform within the European Parliament, which promotes open exchange and balanced debates between policy-makers and stakeholders.
Speeches in support of the re-establishment of the Intergroup were given by Kurt Vandenberghe, Director “Climate Action and Resource Efficiency” in DG Research & Innovation, European Commission; Chantal Bruetschy, Head of Unit “Innovation and Sustainability” in DG Health and Consumers, European Commission; Luc Bas, Director of IUCN’s European Union Representative Office; and Ulf Bjornholm, Head of UNEP’s Brussels Liaison Office. They all commended the capacity of this Intergroup to bring relevant actors around the table and efficiently providing a bridge between different European Institutions in addressing climate change threats, and environmental and ecosystems’ degradation, but also the inherently linked socio-economic consequences such as the loss of jobs, growth and competitiveness.
On behalf of the Members of the Bureau of the Intergroup, MEP Mariya Gabriel (chair of the Apiculture and Bee Health working group) took the floor to invite all colleagues MEPs to spread the word about the Intergroup within the European Parliament, in order to ensure support for its re-establishment. MEPs Julie Girling, Miriam Dalli, Maurice Ponga and Dieter-Lebrecht Koch were also present to promote the Intergroup.
Following the speeches, the cocktail allowed all participants to network and exchange in a more informal way. The event was attended by around 140 participants.
The Secretariat