EU policy/Engage/MEP Counselling

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MEP Counselling

What's the plan?[edit]

Copyright reform is coming to the new European Parliament. It has been worked on by the last Commission, but this time even the President of the European Commission has made it his number 1 priority. The idea is to build a relationship with our representatives in the relevant parliamentary committees well before we actually need it. Such a personal connection can be based on a shared language, shared party or a shared constituency. The idea is to have active Wikimedians (WEASELS) take on one or few Members of the European Parliament, get in touch with them and start advising them on digital issues.

When do I start?[edit]

Immediately and the contact should continue over the next years. There is not start or end date. Remember, we're not going for a one-time email exchange here, but are trying to foster trust.

Who do I get in touch with and how?[edit]

Check the the list of members of the two most relevant committees below and pick the person who think you are most likely to enjoy talking to. The three options here are email, phone call and personal meeting and they can be built up in this order.

What do I say?[edit]

While the goal is to be personal and you should take some time into reading up on your chosen MEP to be able to approach them at an angle that gives you the highest possible chances of success, here a few talking points you can and should mention, so we are all on the same page.

  • Who are you (Wikimedian, a chapter, a volunteer?)
  • What is Wikimedia & Wikipedia: A global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world & a Free Encyclopedia
  • Point to our Statement of Intent and Position Paper
  • Explain that a copyright reform is coming to their committee in the next few years
  • If you have a personal story about how lack of Freedom of Panorama, for instance, stopped you from doing something
  • Mention that you would like to meet in person back home and that they can meet a Wikimedian in Brussels

Who does what?[edit]

Put your name in the list below so we know who is contacting whom. Don't forget to tick off successful accomplishments.

Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO)[edit]

MEP Country, Group WEASEL Emailed? Phoned? Met? Supports us? Comments
Eva Paunova BG EPP Dimi sent scheduled Likely Likely Talked about market harmonisation
Amjad Bashir UK EFD
Dita Charanzová CZ ALDE WMCZ/Aktron
Carlos Coelho PT EPP
Sergio Gaetano Cofferati IT S&D
Lara Comi IT EPP
Anna Maria Corazza Bildt SE EPP
Brian Crowley IE ECR
Nicola Danti IT S&D
Pascal Durand FR GREENS
Vicky Ford UK ECR WMUK - Stevie Benton yes yes yes, with staff Also snail mail. Chairwoman. Talking a lot to staff and ECR advisor for IMCO.
Ildikó Pelczné Gáll HU EPP
Evelyne Gebhardt DE S&D
Maria Grapini RO S&D
Antanas Guoga LT ALDE
Sergio Gutiérrez Prieto ES S&D
Eduard-Raul Hellvig RO EPP
Anneleen Van Bossuyt BE ECR SPQRobin MEP since January 2015
Robert Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz PL NI neo-liberal - concentrate on freedom
Liisa Jaakonsaari FI S&D
Cornelis de Jong NL GUE
Philippe Juvin FR EPP
Antonio López-Istúriz White ES EPP
Jiří Maštálka CZ GUE
Marlene Mizzi MT S&D
Margot Parker UK EFD AndrewRT (talk) yes being arranged Now UKIP, former Libertas.eu
Florian Philippot FR NI
Jiří Pospíšil CZ EPP
Marcus Pretzell DE ECR AfD have liberal strings
Robert Rochefort FR ALDE
Virginie Rozière FR S&D Concentrate on equal opportunities
Christel Schaldemose DK S&D
Andreas Schwab DE EPP
Olga Sehnalová CZ S&D
Igor Šoltes SI GREENS
Ivan Štefanec SK EPP
Catherine Stihler UK S&D WMUK
Richard Sulík SK ALDE
Róża Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein PL EPP
Mylène Troszczynski FR NI
Matthijs van Miltenburg NL ALDE sent Substitute in the committee

Legal Affairs Committee (JURI)[edit]

MEP Country, Group WEASEL Written? Phoned? Met? Supports us? Comments
Max Andersson SE GREENS Karl Likely Likely Wants to become new Swedish digital guy after Pirates left
Joëlle Bergeron FR EFD
Marie-Christine Boutonnet FR NI Unlikely Unlikely
Jean-Marie Cavada FR ALDE WMFR/Samuel yes Oppose Oppose
Kostas Chrysogonos GR GUE Possible Possible
Therese Comodini Cachia MT EPP Karl Possible Possible
Mady Delvaux-Stehres LU S&D
Andrzej Duda PL ECR
Rosa Estaràs Ferragut ES EPP
Laura Ferrara IT EFD WMIT/Lorenzo + Nemo yes yes  Confirmed Assistant is IP Lawyer and wants to meet
Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg PL S&D WMPL/Tar + Odder  Confirmed Very friendly on the phone, made several good amendments together with other S&D people.
Mary Honeyball UK S&D Simon & WMUK yes yes Possible Possible copyright shouldn't have a bad name
Dietmar Köster DE S&D Dimi Possible Possible Offered to meet after summer break. With Sonja Gabrowsky.
Sajjad Karim UK ECR WMUK/Stevie/Michael
Gilles Lebreton FR NI
Antonio Marinho de Pinto PT ALDE Dimi yes
Jiří Maštàlka CZ GUE WMCZ/Aktron Possible Possible
Enrico Gasbarra IT S&D WMIT/Nemo yes yes yes Possible Possible Authored a lot of assorted amendments. Going to discuss further.
Emil Radev BG EPP Dimi_z yes in Strasbourg Possible Possible Interested in "legal insecurities/risks". Wants to see our FoP studies and requested brochures.
Julia Reda DE GREENS Dimi_z yes yes yes  Confirmed PIRATE! ARRR!
Evelyn Regner AT S&D Dimi_z yes yes yes  Confirmed Joe Weidenholzer repsonsible for "digital".
Pavel Svoboda CZ EPP Dimi_z yes yes yes Possible Possible Chairman - will host an event for us
József Szájer HU EPP
Axel Voss DE EPP Dimi Yes With Assistant Possible Possible Were opened and interested without giving much away. Hopefully will stay in touch. Could image supporting our points if certain changes included.
Tadeusz Zwiefka PL EPP

ITRE[edit]

Voted a little good stuff. Some italians contacted.

CULT[edit]

Got a majority on PD-Gov and other stuff, failed to approve an opinion. In touch with most italians, some of others too.

Plenary[edit]

In the 2015-07-09 plenary discussion several MEPs spoke about freedom of panorama; in the vote, only 40 voted for Cavada's text, 228 for amendment 3.

For more details, see the VoteWatch report.

We have a partial view from the emicycle of who voted in favour of AM 3 (mostly from EPP) which can be compared to the seating map and photos of speakers; official proceedings will tell who voted what for § 46; we also know who signed AM 3:

MEP Country Group Group-country size Party-country size
Mlinar Angelika AT ALDE 6
Lunacek Ulrike AT EFA 3
Demesmaeker Mark BE ECR 4
Van Brempt Kathleen BE S&D 4
Kyuchyuk Ilhan BG ALDE 4
Charanzová Dita CZ ALDE 4
Pospíšil Jiří CZ ALDE
Zahradil Jan CZ ECR 2
Niedermüller Péter CZ EPP 7
Müller Ulrike DE ALDE 4
Lambsdorff Alexander Graf DE ALDE
Meissner Gesine DE ALDE
Theurer Michael DE ALDE
Kölmel Bernd DE ECR 8
Buchner Klaus DE EFA 13
Giegold Sven DE EFA
Zimmer Gabriele DE GUE 8
Kammerevert Petra DE S&D 27
Kallas Kaja EE ALDE 3
Toom Yana EE ALDE
Paet Urmas EE ALDE
Tarand Indrek EE EFA 1
Maura Barandiarán Fernando ES ALDE 8
Tremosa i Balcells Ramon ES ALDE
Becerra Basterrechea Beatriz ES ALDE
Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz Maite ES ALDE
Bilbao Barandica Izaskun ES ALDE
Terricabras Josep-Maria ES EFA 4
Torvalds Nils FI ALDE 4
Takkula Hannu FI ALDE
Ruohonen-Lerner Pirkko FI ECR 2
Szanyi Tibor HU S&D 4
Harkin Marian IE ALDE 1
Adinolfi Isabella IT EFDD 17
Tamburrano Dario IT EFDD
Salvini Matteo IT ENF 5
Bizzotto Mara IT ENF
Borghezio Mario IT ENF
Fontana Lorenzo IT ENF
Gardini Elisabetta IT EPP 15
Maltese Curzio IT GUE 3
Auštrevičius Petras LT ALDE 4
Ropė Bronis LT EFA 1
Blinkevičiūtė Vilija LT S&D 2
Schaake Marietje NL ALDE 7
van Nieuwenhuizen Cora NL ALDE
in 't Veld Sophia NL ALDE
Gerbrandy Gerben-Jan NL ALDE
van Miltenburg Matthijs NL ALDE
van Baalen Johannes Cornelis NL ALDE
Huitema Jan NL ALDE
van de Camp Wim NL EPP 5
Boni Michał PL EPP 23
Faria José Inácio PT ALDE 2
Nicolai Norica RO ALDE 3
Weber Renate RO ALDE
Negrescu Victor RO S&D 16
Grapini Maria RO S&D
Štefanec Ivan SK EPP 6 3
Kukan Eduard SK EPP 1
Vajgl Ivo SL ALDE 1
Federley Fredrick SV ALDE 3
Bearder Catherine UK ALDE 1
Ford Vicky UK ECR 21
Dalton Daniel UK ECR
Smith Alyn UK EFA 6
Evans Jill UK EFA
MEPs: 67 Countries: Groups: Total: 262

Questions and coordination[edit]

User:Dimi_z is responsible for the coordination. Drop him a line to ask anything. He will also ping you in case of a need to take action.

See also[edit]