04/09/2007
Narbona to chair PES environment Ministers network
4 September 2007
Spanish Environment Minister Cristina Narbona has been appointed Coordinator of the PES Network of Environment Ministers and Opposition spokespersons - and is the latest member of an expanding group of Ministers, party leaders and senior politicians who lead pre-Council Ministerial meetings and other political initiatives on behalf of the PES.
"Our European political party is slowly but surely climbing the steps onto the main stage of European politics" said PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen. "It is increasingly obvious that, with the European Union taking very important decisions which impact on the everyday lives of our citizens, there is a need for much closer cooperation between our national political parties. I believe the PES is by far the most cohesive mainstream European political party with the strongest shared values."
"The appointment of a dynamic politician like Cristina Narbona to run Ministerial Coordination in an area as important as the environment" said Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, "is another important step towards a stronger and more effective Party of European Socialists."
The PES Environment Ministerial Network is currently working on a "Smart green growth" policy on the opportunity for a green industrial revolution to combat climate change and stimulate economic growth and new jobs.
Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, Portugal's Employment and Social Affairs Minister José Vieira da Silva, Greek party leader George Papandreou, former German Finance Minister Hans Eichel and former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen are among those leading PES Ministerial meetings or other PES political initiatives.
Ministerial coordinations
Foreign affairs Coordinator Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg
Employment Coordinator Jose Vieira da Silva, Portugal
& Social affairs
Development Coordinator Heide Marie Wieczorek-Zeul, Germany
Defence Coordinator André Flahaut, Belgium
ECOFIN Coordinator to be appointed
High Level Advisory or Working Groups
Turkey Co-chairs Paavo Lipponen, Finland
George Papandreou, Greece
Lisbon network Chair Hans Eichel, Germany
Future of Europe Chair Ruairi Quinn, Ireland
Balkans Chair Mircea Geoana, Romania
Diversity network Chair Gary Titley, UK
Eastern Neighbours Chair Peter Schieder, Austria
Middle East Chair Carin Jamtin, Sweden
