By Thea Pieridou
Press Officer at the European Parliament Office in Cyprus
The 2024 European elections are now behind us. From 6 to 9 June 2024, millions of people across the European Union voted in the European elections to choose who will represent them in the European Parliament. On 16 July, Roberta Metsola won the election for the presidency of the Parliament and will continue to lead the Parliament for the first two and a half years of the 10th parliamentary term. On 18 July Ursula von der Leyen was re-elected for another five-year term.
The first task of the new President of the European Commission is to select the persons to be nominated for the positions of Commissioners, on the basis of the proposals put forward by the EU Member States for this purpose. The European Commission consists of one commissioner from each EU country. Each Commissioner is given a portfolio of responsibilities. As already announced, Mr Kadis is the new designated Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans.
The European Parliament invites the designated Commissioners to appear at approval hearings before the relevant committees in order to establish their suitability for the portfolios they are proposed to take on. The hearings of EU designated Commissioners are a key moment for the European Parliament. They have changed a lot over the years and continue to be very popular.
What are hearings?
Hearings are part of the checks and balances at EU level to ensure transparency and accountability. While designated Commissioners are appointed by EU governments, they are thoroughly vetted by the European Parliament before they take office.
Even before the designated Commissioners can attend their hearings, Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee examines the financial situation of each candidate to ensure that there will be no conflict of interest. Only when the Legal Affairs Committee gives the go-ahead can the hearing take place.
During the hearings, the designated Commissioners present their programmes and answer oral questions from MEPs. These hearings are broadcast live on the Internet. MEPs aim to assess whether the designated Commissioners have the independence, skills and European commitment to serve as members of the new European Commission.
How did the hearings start?
Initially, the European Parliament was not involved in the appointment of the European Commission as the decision was in the hands of the EU Member States. Things changed with the Maastricht Treaty, which came into effect in 1993. Having lobbied for years to strengthen its role in the appointment of the EU executive, the European Parliament gained the right to vote to approve or reject the European Commission as a whole.
The Amsterdam Treaty, adopted in 1999, gave the EP the power to approve the President of the Commission. And the Lisbon Treaty, which came into force in 2009, clarified the criteria that must be met when selecting Commissioners. Commissioners must demonstrate general competence and independence, but also European commitment.
Impact of the hearings on the composition of the Commission
Over the years, the EP has shown that it is ready to call for the reshuffling of portfolios or the replacement of candidates who fail to convince MEPs. In the 2019 hearings process, the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest after examining the financial declarations of interest of László Trócsányi, Hungary's nominee for Justice Commissioner, and Rovana Plumb, the Romanian Transport Commissioner. A few days later, Sylvie Goulard, the French Internal Market Commissioner, failed to get the support of MEPs. All three candidates - Trócsányi, Plumb and Goulard - were replaced.
Once the approval hearings are over, the President of the European Commission is invited to a debate in the EP plenary, where she presents the Body of the designated Commissioners, as well as the programme she intends to implement. The European Parliament then votes to approve or reject the new European Commission as a whole.
