MEP AWARDS 2007

In late September the European Parliament is set to vote on Britta Thomsen's report entitled, A Roadmap for Renewable Energy in Europe. As rapporteur, Thomsen's key message is the importance of creating the right framework for the EU's renewable energy venture. Thomsen hopes her report will go some way to proving that renewable energy is an opportunity, not a burden for European member states. Thomsen is a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy as well as the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. The Danish MEP is also part of the Parliament's delegation for relations with South Africa. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Thomsen's work in the Parliament continues to reflect her interest in Iberian issues. Recent parliamentary questions have focused on the environmental impact of a new yacht port in Ibiza.

Lena Ek was the Parliament's Industry, Research and Energy Committee rapporteur on the EU's REACH legislation. She continues to play an active role in the committee today. Her other work in the sector has focused on developing FP7 to improve the energy market, solve environmental problems and help create new jobs. Today in Parliament, Ek also sits on the Temporary Committee on Climate Change. Born in Mönsterås, Sweden, Ek has a degree in law and started her political career in Sweden's Centre Party. She has been a member of the party's executive committee since 2000. In 1998 she became member of the Swedish Parliament and was elected to the European Parliament in 2004. Her other political interests include gender equality and the environment.

Romana Jordan Cizelj has a long history working in the energy sector. She has a degree in electrical engineering and a masters and PhD in nuclear engineering. Before working as an MEP she was a Member of the Management Board and Vice-President of the Slovenian Committee for NATO. She also served as President of the Nuclear Society of Slovenia. In the European Parliament, she is a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Her principal political goals include supporting the EU's seventh research framework programme (FP7) and pursuing the Lisbon strategy on economic growth and innovation. In her political work, Jordan Cizelj also stresses the importance of the six priorities the EU set out in its Energy Green Paper. These include ensuring security of supply and a diverse sustainable energy mix, combating climate change and promoting innovation. Jordan Cizelj is also a substitute on the Committee on Budgets, and on the Temporary Committee on Policy Challenges and Budgetary Means of the Enlarged EU.