In the period November 4-12, the commissions in European Parliament will listen to and test the European Commissioners proposed by Ursula von der Leyen. Who will take the exam and when will be determined at the next meeting of the Presiding Council of the Parliament.
The European Parliament invites applicants for commissioners to appear before the relevant committees for hearingto check whether they are suitable for the posts to which they are appointed.
European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola said: “Members of the European Parliament will scrutinize the competence, independence and European commitment of each candidate before voting for the college as a whole.”
We remind you that for the Bulgarian candidate for European Commissioner – Ekaterina Zaharieva, the portfolio “Startups, research and innovations” has been determined. Christophe Hansen from Luxembourg has been nominated for Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
During the last mandate of the European Parliament, Janusz Wojciechowski did not present himself convincingly at the first hearing and appeared at the second.
The procedure
Before the hearings, the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs scrutinizes the declarations of interests of the nominees for commissioners. In order for a Commission member candidate to participate in a hearing, there must be no conflict of interest.
Depending on the department, the candidate for a member of the Commission can be evaluated by one parliamentary committee (responsible committee) or by more than one committee (joint committees). Other committees may be invited to participate, meaning that they may contribute oral questions, while the final assessment of the applicants rests with the coordinators of the responsible committee(s).
The hearings will be followed by meetings in which the committee chair and the representatives of the groups (coordinators) of the various committees will assess whether a candidate for a member of the committee is qualified both to be a member of the college and to carry out the specific duties assigned to them assigned.
After all hearings are completed, the Board of Committee Chairs will evaluate the outcome of the confirmation hearings and send its conclusions to the Board of Chairs. The latter will make the final assessment and decide whether to close the hearings.
After the hearings, Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen will present the full College of Commissioners and its program in plenary.
Her statement will be followed by a debate and any political group or at least one-twentieth of the members of parliament (a low threshold) can table a motion for a resolution.
The full composition of the Commission needs the approval of the Parliament (with a majority of the votes cast, by roll call).
After being elected by Parliament, the Commission is formally appointed by the European Council, which acts by qualified majority.
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