Election of the new Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety ended with a clear result on Monday evening. Pierfrancesco Maran (S&D, ITA) won 59 votes out of 78, beating his opponent, Austrian MEP Roman Haider from the Patriots for Europe faction. Mr Maran replaces his compatriot Antonio Decaro.
Former Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) Antonio Decaro had been elected President of the Italian region of Puglia at the end of 2025. Subsequently, he resigned as member of European Parliament.
“The green transition must continue”
“It is a great responsibility and honour to be elected as Chair of the ENVI Committee. This historic moment demands great resolve. We must continue the transition we have embarked on by implementing the Green Deal. It is effectively a freedom deal that helps us strengthen European autonomy through energy and resource independence,” said the new Chair immediately after the vote.
MEP Maran sttressed that climate change is a visible reality, not a ’theoretical concept’. “It is up to us to propose effective and innovative policies that make our Union more resilient and competitive. I look forward to working with all members in a spirit of service to lead this change,” said Mr Maran in a conciliatory tone.
Long experience from Milan
Born in Milan in 1980, Pierfrancesco Maran is a member of the Democratic Party of Italy. He has been a member of the Socialists and Democrats group since 2024. He has a solid experience in public administration and urban and environmental policies.
Prior to his election in Brussels, he was Councillor for Urban Planning and Mobility in the Municipality of Milan. He has always interpreted his commitment to ecological transition and innovation in public services with a reformist and pragmatic approach.
