Vice President of the European Parliament
On 16 July 2024,Younous Omarjee was elected Vice-President of the European Parliament.
He holds several responsibilities relating to interinstitutional relations,territorial cohesion and social inclusion.
He is responsible for relations with the European Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee,ensuring coordination and dialogue between the European Parliament and these consultative bodies representing local and regional authorities,as well as organised civil society.
He also oversees relations with the French authorities concerning Parliament’s seat,including administrative,logistical and political matters related to the functioning of the Parliament’s seat in Strasbourg.
In the legislative sphere,he takes part in interinstitutional conciliation procedures,contributing to negotiations aimed at reaching agreements between the European Parliament,the Council and the European Commission.
Younous Omarjee is also a member of several Bureau working groups,including Sustainable Infrastructure and Services,Citizens’Language and Linguistic Services,Gender Equality and Diversity.
In addition,he is entrusted with representing the President of the European Parliament,Roberta Metsola,in specific external relations,notably for contacts with local and regional authorities,for relations with Africa and the Organisation of African,Caribbean and Pacific States,for matters concerning EU islands,outermost regions,overseas countries and territories,and small island developing states.
President of the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development (2019-2024)
Between July 2019 and July 2024,Omarjee has been chairing the European Parliament Committee on Regional Development. He was also a member of the Conference of Committee Chairs,of the European Parliament Committee on Budgets and of the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control.
In addition to his committee assignments,Omarjee was one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament Anti-Racism and Diversity Intergroup [2] and a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights, [3] the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, [4] and the URBAN Intergroup. [5]
He was elected Vice-President of the European Parliament on 16 July 2024. [6] [7]
Mitigating the social and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic,Younous Omarjee coordinated the rapid adoption of the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRI) and Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative Plus (CRII+),which enabled the mobilisation of EU cohesion funds to help Member States and regions address the economic,social and health consequences of the crisis.
He chaired negotiations with the Council of the European Union on the REACT-EU regulation (Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe),which provided an additional €50 billion to support regions most affected by the pandemic. The regulation introduced temporary flexibility measures,including the possibility of 100% EU co-financing,and contained specific provisions for the outermost regions.
European response to the Refugee crisis after the agression of Russia in Ukraine
Omarjee was involved in the European Union’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Shortly after the outbreak of the war,he travelled with European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira to Poland to visit reception centres and assess the situation at the border. He subsequently contributed to the preparation and adoption of the CARE regulation (Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe),aimed at supporting Ukrainian refugees and the European cities and regions hosting them.
He later travelled to Kyiv to meet members of the Verkhovna Rada and Ukrainian officials,including the Chief of Staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Mayor of Kyiv,Vitali Klitschko,to discuss the implementation of EU assistance.
Negociator on the European Union’s cohesion policy framework (2021-2027)
He chaired over interinstitutional negotiations on the European Union’s cohesion policy framework for the 2021–2027 programming period,including the Just Transition Fund,the Common Provisions Regulation,the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF),the Cohesion Fund and the Interreg Regulation. With a total budget of approximately €390 billion,cohesion policy represents one of the largest components of the EU budget.
As Chair and rapporteur,he also oversaw the adoption of European Parliament reports calling for the development of an Atlantic macro-regional strategy,a Mediterranean macro-regional strategy and a renewed strategy for European islands.
Omarjee has supported initiatives aimed at strengthening regional adaptation to climate change. Following the floods of summer 2021 in Germany,the Netherlands and Belgium,he visited affected areas as part of parliamentary missions focused on recovery.
Throughout his mandate,he represented the European Parliament at meetings of EU ministers responsible for cohesion policy and conducted official visits in several Member States.
