Bulgarian BSP, PES Leader Stanishev to head EP Energy Committee

Ruling Party leader and Party of European Socialists (PES) President Sergey Stanishev is to enter the Energy Committee at the European Parliament.

Bulgaria without Censorship (BwC) leader Nikolay Barekov, from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and GERB MEP Vladimir Uruchev are also due to join the Committee, the Bulgarian National Radio has reported.

The announcement comes after weeks of uncertainty over his future plans in politics.

Earlier in June he handed his resignation as a Bulgarian lawmaker in order to be MEP, but experts and fellow colleagues from his Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) suggested he might be aspiring to a high-profile position.

During Thursday's EP session it was also decided that Iliana Iotova (S&D), Mariya Gabriel (EPP Group Deputy Chair) and Filiz Hyusmenova (ALDE Group Deputy Chair) would join the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee.

Andrey Kovachev (GERB), elected Wednesday to be among the five EP quaestors, and Ilhan Kyuchuk (ALDE) will be part of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The EP's Budgetary Committee will include Georgi Pirinski (S&D), while former Bulgarian EU Funds Minister Tomislav Donchev will be part of the Regional Development Committee.

It was revealed on Wednesday that Iskra Mihaylova, who was until recently Environment Minister, could head the Committee, but the position is due to be announced Monday next week.