2011-2014
On 23 June 2011, Proust started serving as a Member of the European Parliament. His predecessor, Dominique Baudis, was to become ombudsman (Défenseur des droits) towards the French Republic. He sits in the EPP Group, the Committee on International Trade and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy.
During this mandate, he asserted the fact that there could be no competitiveness for European businesses as long as external trade relations are not balanced. He argued for a better implementation of the principle of reciprocity and greater common sense from the European Institutions.
He was rapporteur on Monitoring EU/third country trade in drug precursors,[3] such as regulations concerning rules for the monitoring of trade between the Community and third countries in drug precursors as well as with the Federation of Russia
He was also rapporteur on CARS 2020: towards a strong, competitive and sustainable European car industry (European Commission's action plan),[4] he strongly argued in favour of greater competitiveness in the automotive industry.
On 2013 and 2014, he initiated MEPs action against the revision of the ruling of State aid for regional airports.[5]
He also appealed the French Government to put in the transport national priorities the High-Speed Railways piece going from Montpellier to Perpignan, missing part of the European High-Speed Corridor going from Amsterdam to Sevilla.[6]
2014-2019
On a common program with Michèle Alliot-Marie, Proust was re-elected member of the European Parliament on 25 May 2014 or the French South-West France (European Parliament constituency). He sits in the Committee on International Trade and in the Committee on Transport and Tourism.[1]
He also served as vice-chair of the Sky and Space intergroup [7] and first vice-chair of the French EPP delegation in the European Parliament.[2]
He was the rapporteur for the Commission proposal on the establishment of a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments in EU Member States.[8]
The 28th of July 2017, Proust is accused of influence traffic and attempted influence traffic and favoritism.[9] This accusation follows suspicious calls for public tenders made in 2006 by the Nîmes Métropole mixed economy company when Proust was its president.[9] At the end of a press conference at the beginning of August, he indicated that he would not resign from his mandates.[10]
