The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is a standing committee of the European Parliament. It is responsible for energy policy, industrial policy, research and innovation, telecommunications, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, space policy and measures affecting small and medium-sized enterprises. With 90 seats during the tenth parliamentary term, it is one of Parliament's two largest committees. The official membership page currently lists 89 full members.
Contents
Responsibilities
ITRE is responsible for the European Union's industrial, energy, research and technology policies. Its work covers energy security and infrastructure, the internal energy market, renewable energy, energy efficiency, industrial competitiveness, digital connectivity, research programmes and the Union's space activities.
Its remit includes:
industrial policy, competitiveness and the technological transformation of European industry;
measures affecting small and medium-sized enterprises;
the Union's energy policy, including security of supply, energy efficiency and renewable energy;
the functioning and interconnection of electricity and gas networks;
nuclear-energy matters governed by the Euratom Treaty, including nuclear safeguards and waste;
research and innovation policy, including Horizon Europe;
the activities of the Joint Research Centre;
telecommunications, electronic communications and digital infrastructure;
cybersecurity within its areas of competence;
the digital economy, data infrastructure and emerging technologies;
the Union's space policy, including Galileo, Copernicus and relations with the European Space Agency; and
relevant EU agencies and public–private partnerships.
Energy policy
ITRE is Parliament's lead committee for legislation on the internal energy market, renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy infrastructure and security of supply. It has played a central role in measures connected with the European Green Deal, the decarbonisation of the energy system and the reduction of dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Its legislative work includes rules on electricity-market design, energy-performance standards for buildings, renewable-energy targets, energy efficiency, methane emissions, hydrogen markets and cross-border energy networks. The committee also follows the implementation of the REPowerEU plan and the development of energy-storage and grid technologies.
Industry, research and innovation
The committee deals with policies intended to strengthen the competitiveness, resilience and technological capacity of European industry. These include the development of clean technologies, strategic supply chains, access to critical raw materials, industrial decarbonisation and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
ITRE is also responsible for Parliament's work on the Union's research framework programmes, including Horizon Europe, and for scrutiny of the Joint Research Centre. Its research remit covers scientific cooperation, innovation, technology transfer and the development of research infrastructure.
Digital and space policy
ITRE legislates on telecommunications networks, electronic communications, connectivity, digital infrastructure and cybersecurity in areas falling within its competence. The committee has considered legislation on roaming, broadband deployment, spectrum policy, network security and the regulation of telecommunications markets.
The committee also coordinates Parliament's work on European space policy. It follows the Union Space Programme, satellite-navigation and Earth-observation systems and relations with the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and the European Space Agency.
Chairs
The following table lists the chairs of the committee since 2009.
Members
10th Parliament, 2024–2029
The committee has 90 seats; the official membership page currently lists 89 full members. Its composition is shown below, with the chair and vice-chairs indicated in italics.
Research support
The committee is supported by the European Parliament's research services and policy departments. They provide studies, briefings and impact assessments on energy, industrial policy, research, digital infrastructure, telecommunications, cybersecurity, space and technological competitiveness.
Research prepared for the committee is published through Parliament's supporting-analyses database and the European Parliament Think Tank.