MEP Kelly secures full membership of Industry Committee of European Parliament

Sean Kelly MEP has secured membership of the highly sought-after Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in the European Parliament. The re-elected Fine Gael MEP was one of just 67 full members to be appointed to the key committee as the Parliament officially began its 8^th term in Strasbourg this week.

The South MEP played a high-profile role on the Industry Committee during the last term when he authored a report on the new Data Protection Regulation on behalf of the largest political grouping to which he belongs, the EPP, and will continue to prioritise this vital piece of legislative work over the next five years.

“Data Protection was regarded as the most important legislative dossier passing through Parliament during the 2009-2014 mandate as the General Data Protection Regulation will affect every citizen and business in Europe. I used my position on the Industry committee to table over 200 amendments and successfully negotiate 90 cross-party compromise amendments. I was successful in achieving consensus on  heightening protection for children in the online environment, strengthen anti-doping measures and guarantee the rights of data subjects. I was also glad to successfully defeat amendments from other Groups which would have smothered every small business across Europe in red tape. These are key priorities that I will continue to promote,” Mr Kelly said in Strasbourg today.

Protecting children online has been a core issue for the former teacher who also led a campaign to build awareness of cyber bullying in Ireland and across Europe, hosting several public seminars and organising a cross-party conference on the same in the European Parliament involving policy makers, youth advocacy groups and young people who have experienced such trauma online: “Cyber bullying is still a huge and very worrying issue and remains a key priority for my next five year term as an MEP.”

Mr Kelly will also continue to represent Irish concerns regarding agriculture, international trade – particularly in light of transatlantic trade talks, sports funding and programming – and issues related to health and obesity, at EU level.