 |
Sharon Bowles MEP |
Economic and Monetary Affairs - my main role in Parliament
Sharon in the Chair
I was elected Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee on 16 July 2009. For short, the committee is known as ECON.
ECON is one of the most powerful committees in Parliament. It is responsible for the regulation of the financial sector, the free movement of capital and payments, competition rules, tax provisions, and the functioning of the Euro.
My election as Chair was something of a historic landmark in that I am the first Liberal and the first Briton to ever Chair this committee!
The issues that ECON deals with have a huge influence over the UK economy and the way the finance industry works. I co-ordinate with my UK colleagues in the Westminster Parliament of course, with Vince Cable MP and Danny Alexander MP at the Treasury, but perhaps my most frequent contact is with Conservative MP George Osborne as our country's Chancellor of the Exchequer.
ECON legislation is often very technical because we are regulating very complex industries. I have given a description below of some of the most important and in some cases notorious legislation that has passed through the ECON committee since I joined in 2005.
You may find our (basic) beginner's glossary of ECON terms useful for looking up phrases that you do not understand. Also, you can click here to find out who the key people in the world of economic and monetary affairs are.
These ECON topics are pieces of legislation that have a huge impact on everyone's life in the UK and across the EU. I hope you are interested by learning more about them.
You may also like to read my speeches that I have given on different topics relating to my financial work, or watch some of them on YouTube.
If you have any specific queries on a piece of legislation or work described here, you are most welcome to contact my office
Key Legislation
My Reports
On a co-ordinated strategy to improve the fight against fiscal fraud
On establishing the European Statistical Governance Advisory Board
On Purchasing Power Parities
On the Council recommendation on the appointment of the Vice-President of
the European Central Bank
On the proposal for the refund of value added tax to taxable persons not established in the Member State of refund but established in another Member State
On the draft Council recommendation for appointment of an Executive
Board Member of the European Central Bank