previously served as a member of the Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries and on the Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. More recently as Legal Affairs Spokesperson, he has worked towards completing the Digital Single Market and Copyright Reform, which will have important and far-reaching benefits for international trade partners, consistently delivering time after time by enhancing the competitiveness of European businesses and facilitating international trade. Karim has championed the role played by the EU in developing and facilitating international trade between the EU and the wider world, and has been involved in the development of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement within the European Parliament. He was the European Parliament's rapporteur on the free trade agreement with India and has authored two trade-related European Parliament Reports on EU-India Trade Relations and the EU-India FTA. Both reports maintain the need for human rights to be integral in any trade related agreement that the EU has with another country. Karim has spent a considerable amount of his time working towards a reduction in EU regulations and red tape on businesses, particularly SMEs. In October 2011 he was appointed as the European Parliament rapporteur on a new report that will look at improving the law-making process across the EU and reducing the legislative burden. In July 2011, the English Defence League staged an anti-Islamic protest outside his family home near Burnley, allegedly regarding new EU proposals on the labelling of halal meat. The group have targeted him despite not having much to do with either Saudi Arabia or British Bangladeshis. In February 2012, Karim was one of five MEPs to be appointed to a panel to police the new code of conduct rules that will govern the behaviour of MEPs. He is the only British MEP to serve on this committee. The Advisory Committee provides guidance to MEPs and advises the Parliament's president on what steps to take in the event of alleged breaches of the code. In February 2014 he was appointed chairman of the Advisory Committee by the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz. After the European elections in 2014, he was selected as the European Conservative and Reformist Group Parliament Presidential candidate. The incumbent Martin Schultz retained his position as president, with Karim coming second out of four candidates, widely acknowledged that he secured support from MEPs right across the house beyond