<h6><strong>Redacción Aquí Europa</strong></h6> <h4><strong>A total of eleven Spanish MEPs appear in the new permanent and special committees of the European Parliament, which were presented this Thursday.</strong></h4> The European Parliament has presented the composition of its new permanent and special committees, designed to “address the most urgent challenges” of the European Union. The new features include the conversion of the subcommittees on Security and Defence (SEDE) and Public Health (SANT) into permanent committees, as well as the creation of the special committees “Shield of Democracy” (EUDS) and “Housing Crisis” (HOUS). On December 18, MEPs approved the conversion of the subcommittees on Security and Defence (SEDE) and Public Health (SANT) into permanent committees. In addition, it was decided to set up two new special committees: one focusing on the "Shield of Democracy" initiative, aligned with the Commission's political guidelines for 2024-2029 (EUDS), and another to address the housing crisis in the European Union (HOUS). The standing committees on Security and Defence and Public Health each have 43 members, while the special committees on the European Shield of Democracy and the housing crisis each have 33 members. <h5><strong>Representation of Spanish MEPs</strong></h5> The SEDE Committee (Security and Defence), composed of 43 members, will include two Spanish MEPs: Javi López, from the PSOE (S&D), and Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, from the PP (EPP). In the SANT (Public Health) Committee, also made up of 43 members, there will be three Spaniards, Nicolás González, from the PSOE (S&D), Elena Nevado, from the PP (EPP) and Margarita de la Pisa, from Vox (Patriots for Europe). In the special committees, which consist of 33 members each, the Spanish representation is as follows: in the EUDS (Shield of Democracy) special committee, Spain has a single MEP, the popular Juan Ignacio Zoido (EPP). For its part, the HOUS (Housing Crisis) special committee has a greater Spanish representation, with five members: Alma Ezcurra, from the PP (EPP), Alicia Homs, from the PSOE (S&D), Nora Junco, from Se Acabó la Fiesta (ECR), Vicent Marzà, from Compromís (The Greens/EFA), and Irene Montero, from Podemos (The Left). <h5><strong>Next steps</strong></h5> The first constitutive meetings of the standing committees SEDE and SANT will take place on Monday 27 and Wednesday 29 January respectively. The special committees EUDS and HOUS will start their first sessions on Thursday 30 January or Monday 3 February, marking the start of their 12-month mandate. During these initial meetings, each committee will elect its steering committee, which will be composed of a chair and several vice-chairs, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the European Parliament.
