Belgian MEPs elected in the June European elections discovered which European Parliament committees they will join the new legislative term.
Elio Di Rupo (PS) will sit on the Security and Defence committee, while Sophie Wilmès (MR) joins the "democratic shield" initiative.
Reflecting the European Union’s priorities, two subcommittees from previous legislatures – security and defence, and public health – have been upgraded to full committees.
Two new special committees have also been established: one on the "democratic shield" initiative, part of the European Commission’s political guidelines for 2024-2029, and another to address the current housing crisis in the EU.
Elio Di Rupo (PS, S&D), who managed Walloon arms licences while serving as regional government president (2019-2024), joins the defence committee (43 members), alongside Wouter Beke (CD&V, EPP) and Marc Botenga (PTB-PVDA, The Left).
Sophie Wilmès (MR, Renew), Vice-President of the European Parliament responsible for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, joins the special committee on those issues (33 members), alongside Kathleen Van Brempt (Vooruit, S&D) and Assita Kanko (N-VA, ECR).
Olivier Chastel (MR), a trained pharmacist, joins the new Health committee, while the new special committee on the housing crisis will not include any Belgian MEPs.
