The ball is in the European Parliament’s court: hearings at the beginning of November

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has announced that the hearings of the Commissioners-designate will be held from 4 to 12 November. What is it all about?

What are the hearings about

The hearings in the European Parliament take place following the nomination of Commissioners, the first step in forming a new European Commission. Each European leader proposes a candidate who, once approved, is presented before the European Parliament by the President of the European Commission. The presentation of the new team took place, in this case, on 17 September, where in the plenary session of the European Parliament, President von der Leyen presented the new 26 hypothetical Commissioners.

The nomination, however, is not enough to become a European Commissioner. Candidates must pass a final and most important stage of approval: the European Parliament. This is where the hearings come into play. After answering a written questionnaire, the future commissioners are called upon to undergo an evaluation before the parliamentary committee responsible for their assigned portfolio.

The hearing, which lasts about three hours, begins with a 15-minute opening speech by the nominee, in which they explain their political vision. This is followed by a question-and-answer session. After the hearing, the chairperson and coordinators of the relevant committee meet behind closed doors to assess whether the Commissioner-designate is suitable to serve on the European Commission and manage the assigned portfolio.

Committees may then request additional information through written questions to address any lingering doubts or concerns regarding the candidate’s profile and future performance. The hearing is considered officially closed only when two-thirds of the committee approve the candidate. At that point, the European Parliament holds its final vote.

According to the treaties, the Parliament can only reject or accept the new European Commission as a whole, not individual Commissioners-designate. Once the Commission is approved by the Parliament, the new executive can be formally appointed by the European Council, which acts by qualified majority.

Thus, hearings are an important tool for the Parliament to counterbalance the power of the Commission and play a stronger role in shaping the EU agenda.

So where do we stand?

With the announcement by the President of the European Parliament of the official date of the hearings, we will therefore know when and if the team presented by Ursula von der Leyen on 17 September will be approved and thus officially become the new EU Commission.