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There have been further changes within the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, who welcomed two new members. German MEP Lars Patrick Berg and his Italian colleague Giuseppe Milazzo have both joined the ECR’s ranks. Berg had been a non-attached member since leaving his national party Alternative for Germany (AfD), and the Identity and Democracy (ID) group, last month. Meanwhile Milazzo has moved directly from the European People’s Party (EPP), after leaving Forza Italia to join Brothers of Italy.

Similarly, fellow Italian Luisa Regimenti has left the Identity and Democracy (ID) group after parting ways with her national party Lega. She will now sit as a non-attached member.

Milazzo and Regimenti have also given up a number of their committee and delegation positions. Notably, Milazzo is no longer a member of the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) and Regimenti departs the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) as well as the Beating Cancer Special Committee (BECA).

The ECR group will also see a new member when Croatian MEP Ruža Tomašić retires. Tomašić will leave the Parliament after an eight-year spell, having been first elected in 2013. She is seen as one of the most active Croatian MEPs and, as of 2019, the Parliament had adopted five of her reports, 28 on which she worked as a shadow rapporteur, 573 amendments and 293 resolutions. She was a member of the Fisheries Committee (PECH) as well as the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo Delegation (D-SEE).

Tomašić will be replaced by Ladislav Ilčić, vicePresident of the Croatian Sovereigntists’ party, who has said that he will continue to fight on behalf of Croatian fishermen in the Parliament as part of the ECR group. Ilčić served as city councillor on Varaždin City Council (2013-2017) and was also a member of the Croatian Parliament (20152016) as well as a special adviser to the ministers of Foreign Affairs (2016-17) and Culture (2017-2018). Ilčić intends to join the Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) saying he will fight for greater subsidies for low-energy construction and renewable energy.★ Engage and manage relationships with key political and public affairs decision makers via our comprehensive database dodspeople.eu