15 / 11 / 2019


EP hearings of last 3 Commissioners-designate

The new college of Commissioners should have taken office on 1 November but has been delayed due to the rejection of three Commissioners-designate by the European Parliament (EP), including the French nominee for the Internal Market portfolio that will include space and defence matters. The new Commissioners-designate have been questioned by the EP on 14 November. Two of them have been approved, including Mr Thierry Breton for the Internal Market portfolio. However, Hungary’s Commissioner-designate for Foreign Affairs portfolio will have to answer additional written questions in the coming days before his candidacy can be approved. On 19 November, the conference of Committee Chairs is supposed to assess the outcome of all hearings to possibly declare the hearings season closed and move to put a vote in EP Plenary on the whole College of Commissioners on 27 November. But the rejection of the Hungarian candidacy as well as UK’s new deadline (22 November) to nominate a UK Commissioner is likely to result in further delays for the tenure of the new Commission.   More information