German MEPs to dominate law-making committees

German MEPs are tipped to chair three of the most powerful legislative committees in the next European Parliament. 

The influential industry, research and energy committee is likely to be chaired by centre-right MEP Herbert Reul, replacing Angelika Niebler. Socialist Jo Leinen is expected to chair the environment committee, while the centre-right's Klaus-Heiner Lehne is expected to be appointed chairman of the new justice committee, which will deal with issues previously handled by the legal affairs committee. In addition, German Liberal MEP Wolf Klinz will chair a special committee investigating the financial crisis.

Prestigious role

Italian centre-right MEP Mario Mauro is likely to get the prestigious chairmanship of the foreign affairs committee as compensation for giving up his bid to be the European People's Party's (EPP) candidate for Parliament president.

French MEP Alain Lamassoure, a former EU affairs minister and adviser to President Nicolas Sarkozy on the Lisbon treaty, is in line to chair the budgets committee, a post held from 2007 by German centre-right MEP Reimer Böge.

EPP MEPs are also expected to chair the constitutional affairs and culture committees.

Newly-elected Spanish Socialist MEP Juan López Aguilar could become the chairman of the civil liberties committee and UK centre-left MEP Brian Simpson could be appointed chairman of the transport committee. The Socialists and Democrats group is also bidding to chair the agriculture and employment committees.

An Italian MEP from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats group is expected to chair the budgetary control committee.

French Green MEP Eva Joly is the probable future chair of the development committee.

The members of the committees will be decided during the new Parliament's first plenary session in Strasbourg on 16 July. Committee members will vote on the presidents and vice-presidents at their first formal meeting, on 20 July in Brussels.