Seven Croatian members of the European Parliament announced in Zagreb on Friday which committees in the new European Parliament they will sit in as members or substitutes.

Karlo Ressler (HDZ/EPP) will be a member of the Committee on Budgets and a substitute on the Committee for Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Ressler said that having a member on the budgets committee was important for ensuring higher investments in competitiveness, innovation and security and to ensure that sufficient funds were allocated for the cohesion policy.

“The element of demography is also important and should be included in the cohesion policy and European funds,” Ressler said.

Substitutes have the right to vote in cases of a committee member’s absence and their role in the committee is identical to that of committee members.

Members of the EP’s standing committees and their substitutes are appointed by parliamentary groups. The political make-up of the committees reflects that of the plenary assembly.

Tomislav Sokol (HDZ/EPP) will be a member of the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection and a substitute on the Committee for Regional Development, which, he said, was important for Croatia to obtain funding to continue catching up with wealthier EU member states.

“For us as a Christian-Democratic party, the component of the family is important. It is important that young people remain in Croatia and start a family here,” Sokol said.

Dubravka Suica (HDZ/EPP) will be a member of the Foreign Affairs (AFET) committee and a substitute on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee.

AFET is important for the enlargement policy and “to position Croatia on the international scene” as well as with regard to the situation on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Suica said.

Zeljana Zovko (HDZ/EPP) will be a member of AFET and a substitute on the Culture and Education Committee.

She said that AFET was important with regard to the issue of peace and security on Croatia’s borders where “active influence by third countries exists,” which, according to Zovko, affects tourism and life in Croatia.

Biljana Borzan (SDP/S&D) underscored that Croatia’s MEPs are better positioned on committees in the new European Parliament than they were in the previous one.

She underscored that there was a false dilemma regarding differences between members and substitutes and recalled that as a substitute on the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee in the last parliament, she received as award for gender equality and did a lot with regard to dual quality products as a substitute on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee.

In the new Parliament, Borzan will be a member of the Committee for Internal Market and Consumer Protection and a substitute on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee.

Tonino Picula (SDP/S&D) will continue to sit on AFET as a member and will also be a substitute on the Regional Development Committee.

He pointed out the importance of “the fight for the cohesion policy which is not just a fight for more funding but for cohesion itself.”

“Cohesion is the most important EU policy for some member states considering the funds in the joint budget,” said Picula.

Valter Flego (IDS/Renew Europe) will be a member of the Industry, Research and Energy Committee and a substitute on the Transport and Tourism Committee.

He said that his main committee was very important because of the fourth industrial revolution, the fact that we live in a digital age, and the importance of artificial intelligence.

He added that his work would primarily be dedicated to environment protection.

Today’s press conference at Europe House, held to introduce the newly-elected Croatian MEPs, was not attended by Ruza Tomasic of the Croatian Sovereignists, Predrag Fred Matic of the SDP, Independent Mislav Kolakusic and Human Shield’s Ivan Vilibor Sincic.

Tomasic and Matic excused themselves, while Kolakusic and Sincic gave no explanation for their absence.