Joseph Daul

Joseph Daul, MEP

Joseph Daul (born 13 April 1947, Strasbourg) is an MEP for France from the political party Union for a Popular Movement since 20.07.2004. He served his first term at the parliament between 20.07.1999 / 19.07.2004 with The Rally for the Republic (Rassemblement pour la République, RPR), which was later renamed (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, UMP).

Affiliations

• Member, Conference of Presidents

Former Affiliations

• Member, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
• Substitute, Committee on International Trade
• Substitute, Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

Record and Controversies

Declaration of Financial Interests 2012

• Nothing to declare.

Declaration of Financial Interests 2009

Professional Activities:

• Professional farmer in a Groupement Agricole d'Exploitation en Commun (collective farm)

Paid Functions or Activities:

• President of an agricultural cooperative

Record of Parliamentary Votes

• Voted in favour of the directive on "establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy" (A5-0027/2000). The directive covers all water management aspects in order to achieve a 'good status' of all waters by 2015.
• Voted in favour of the directive on "national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants" (A5-0063/2000). The amendment allows setting less ambitious national emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which would result in more damage to human health and the environment.
• Voted in favour of the Commission White Paper on "Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy" (A5-0356/2001). The amendment helps avoid the necessary precautionary approach towards some chemical substances that are not proven to be completely safe.
• Voted against the directive on "waste electrical and electronic equipment" (A5-0100/2002). The amendment sets higher reuse and recycling rates for IT and telecommunication equipment. Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
• Voted in favour of the report on "Community guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network" (A5-0135/2002). The Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T) is a network of so-called 'transport corridors' through Europe. This amendment calls for a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of these transport corridors and calls on the Commission to improve methods for analysing the environmental and economic impact of the TEN-T.
• Voted against the regulation concerning "traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and traceability of food and feed products produced from genetically modified organisms" (A5-0229/2002). The amendment allows customers the right to choose GM free food.
• Voted against the report towards a "thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides" (A5-0061/2003). The amendment proposes to ban or severely restrict use of pesticides in areas around sources of drinking water and nature protected zones.
• Voted against the directive on "environmental liability with regard to the prevention and remedying of environmental damage" (A5-0145/2003). According to the amendment, polluters have to pay for environmental clean-up, and it supports an EU-wide regime which makes polluters liable for the damage they cause to wildlife, water and land.
• Voted against the directive on restructuring the "Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity" (A5-0302/2003). The amendment aims at giving tax benefits to environmentally friendly sources of energy, which would make them cheaper and more competitive to conventional (more polluting) sources of energy. It also gives tax benefits to environmentally friendly uses of energy for transport, for instance trains. Rejected due to lack of absolute majority.
• Voted against the amendment on Bulgaria’s progress towards accession (A5-0105/2004). The report objects to extending the life of the nuclear power stations in Bulgaria. Adopted.

Parliamentary debate on gifts of hospitality

In June 2012, Daul, as the leader of the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), has blocked debate on a decision taken by the Parliament's leadership to allow MEPs not to declare gifts of hospitality. He rejected a demand from Hannes Swoboda, leader of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats group, Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, and Rebecca Harms, co-leader of the Greens, to refer changes to the MEPs' code of conduct for a debate at the plenary.

As reported by Toby Vogel of European Voice, the Socialists, Liberals and Greens were all opposed to exemptions that would permit MEPs not to declare hospitality and gifts as long as it did not exceed a value of €300 per night. Daul said at a meeting of the conference of presidents that a referral to plenary was procedurally impossible and would impinge on the bureau's prerogatives in managing the Parliament's internal organisation.

Martin Schulz, the president of the Parliament, a centre-left German MEP, objected to this interpretation and is now seeking ways to force a plenary debate, or other ways to overturn the decision.

The Socialists & Democrats, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Europe, the Greens and the European United Left/Nordic Green Left are jointly putting forward a proposal to treat paid-for accommodation and travel the same way as other gifts, which have to be declared if their value exceeds €150. The Parliament's largest group, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), is resisting the bid. According to European Voice article, Daul's spokesman said: “We are happy with the decision that was made by the bureau, we voted the way we voted and we have not changed our views. We will stick to our position.” He said that Parliament “should not over-regulate” and that it would be “too complicated” to set a lower threshold for exemptions “because much more would need to be declared”.

Election Campaign 2009

Joseph Daul did not pledge to any of the four issues presented by the Election Campaign.

Personal Information

Curriculum Vitae

• Studied agriculture.
• Graduate of the Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defence (35th session).
• Farmer (until 2007).
• Member of the Economic and Social Committee (1980-1982).
• Mayor of Pfettisheim (1989-2002).
• Member of the European Parliament (since 1999).
• Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (2002-2004).
• Chairman of the Meat Group of the Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the European Union (1996-1999).
• Deputy mayor of Pfettisheim (2002-2007).
• Chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen (2002-2004).
• Officer of the Agricultural Order of Merit. Knight of the National Order of Merit. Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Contact

Address:

Parlement européen

Bât. Altiero Spinelli

05H357

60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60

B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel

Phone:

+32 (0)2 28 45525

Fax

+32 (0)2 28 49525

Email:

joseph.daul@europarl.europa.eu

Website:

http://president.epp-ed.eu

This article is part of the MEPedia project of Spinwatch.

Resources

• Election Campaign, Joseph Daul, accessed 05 June 2009.
• European Parliament, Déclaration des Intérêts financiers des députés: Joseph Daul, 14 January 2009, accessed 25 March 2009.
• European Parliament, Déclaration des Intérêts financiers des députés: Joseph Daul, 12 March 2012, accessed 25 September 20012.
• European Parliament, MEP Directory: Joseph Daul, accessed 25 March 2009.
• Friends of the Earth, EU Vote Watch, accessed 25 March 2009.
• Vogel, Toby, "Bid to tighten rules on MEPs declaring gifts," 05 July 2012 European Voice, accessed 25 September 2012.
• Vogel, Tony, "Daul rejects calls for debate on hospitality," 14 June 2012 European Voice, accessed 25 September 2012.