MEPs have agreed on the calendar for the hearings of the EU commissioners-designate.
The hearings will start on 4 November and take place until 12 November. The Conference of Presidents also decided on a division of duties among committees for the confirmation hearings.
The detailed schedule of which Commissioner-designate will be heard and at what time will be decided by the Conference of Presidents – political group leaders – at its next meeting.
The European Parliament says Commissioners-designate will appear before the appropriate committees for hearings in order to scrutinise if they are suitable for the posts they have been assigned to.
Commenting, Parliament President Roberta Metsola said: “The hearings for the Commissioners-designate are an important moment for European democracy.”
“European Parliament members will thoroughly vet every candidate’s competence, independence and European commitment before voting on the College as a whole.”
“Democracy will cut no corners. With a new legislative term comes new expectations. Rightly so, citizens want solutions to their concerns. The European Parliament will continue playing its role to ensure that our European Union delivers.”
Ahead of the hearings, Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs scrutinises the declarations of interests of the Commissioners-designate.
In order for a Commissioner-designate to take part in a hearing, there must be no conflicts of interest.
Depending on the portfolio, a Commissioner-designate can be assessed by one parliamentary committee (committee responsible) or by more than one committee (joint committees).
Other committees may be invited to participate, meaning they can contribute with oral questions while the final evaluation of candidates lies with the coordinators of the committee(s) responsible.
The hearings will be followed by meetings in which the committee chair and group representatives (coordinators) of the various committees will assess whether a Commissioner-designate is qualified both to be a member of the College and to carry out the particular duties they have been assigned.
Once all hearings are completed, the Conference of Committee Chairs will assess the outcome of the confirmation hearings and forward its conclusions to the Conference of Presidents.
A parliament spokesman told this site, “The latter will conduct the final evaluation and decide whether to close the hearings.”
“After the hearings have been concluded, Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen will present the full College of Commissioners and its programme in plenary.”
Her statement will be followed by a debate, and any political group or at least one-twentieth of Members of Parliament (low threshold) may table a motion for a resolution.
