The beginning of the confirmation hearings for the new European Commission

On Monday 4th November, the European Parliament initiated the selection process of the candidates for the new composition of the European executive. Will the candidates be confirmed at the hearings?

The agenda

As previously explained here, at the beginning of October, the President of the EP Roberta Metsola announced that the hearings of the Commissioners-designate are held from 4 to 12 November.

The hearings of the Commissioners-designate is taking place in the Jozef Antall building, in rooms 2Q2 and 4Q2. Each hearings will last 3 hours.

Each Commissioner-designate undergoes a confirmation hearing with the parliamentary committee(s) relevant to their portfolio. The structure of Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed College has created complexities due to overlapping portfolios. While the European Parliament can only accept or reject the entire College, it has previously influenced changes by pushing for replacements or portfolio adjustments for controversial candidates. These hearings are a mechanism for Parliament to hold the Commission accountable.

Here’s the list of the confirmation hearings:

Monday 4th November (14:30-17:30)

• Maros Šefčovič for Trade and Economic Security; Interistitutional Relations and Transparency
• Glenn Micallef for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport

Monday 4th November (18:30-21:30)

• Christophe Hansen for Agriculture and Food
• Apostolos Tzitzikostas for Sustainable Transport and Tourism

Tuesday 5th November (9:00-12:00)

• Michael McGrath for Democracy, Justice, and the Rule of Law
• Ekaterina Zaharieva for Start-ups, Research and Innovation

Tuesday 5th November (14:30-17:30)

• Dan Jørgensen for Energy and Housing
• Dubravka Šuica for Mediterranean

Tuesday 5th November (18:30-21:30)

• Jessika Roswall for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
• Magnus Brunner for Internal Affairs and Migration

Wednesday 6th November (9:00-12:00)

• Hadja Lahbib for Preparedness and Crisis Management; Equality
• Maria Luis Albuquerque for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union

Wednesday 6th November (14:30-17:30)

• Costas Kadis for Fisheries and Oceans
• Jozef Síkela for International Partnerships

Wednesday 6th November (18:30-21:30)

• Andrius Kubilius for Defence and Space
• Olivér Várhelyi for Health and Animal Welfare

Thursday 7th November (9:00-12:00)

• Wopke Hoekstra for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth
• Marta Kos for Enlargement

Thursday 7th November (14:30-17:30)

• Piotr Serafin for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration
• Valdis Dombrovskis for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification

Tuesday 12th November (9:00-12:30)

• Raffaele Fitto for Cohesion and Reforms (EVP)
• Kaja Kallas as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / VP

Tuesday 12th November (14:30-17:30)

• Roxana Mînzatu for People, Skills and Preparedness (EVP)
• Stéphane Séjourné for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy (EVP)

Tuesday 12th November (18:30-21:30)

• Teresa Ribera Rodríguez for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition (EVP)
• Henna Virkkunen for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy (EVP)

What the future will bring

The European Parliament’s confirmation hearings for Commissioners-designate are crucial for assessing the proposed College of Commissioners before it is approved. In 2024, updated rules guide the process: first, the Legal Affairs Committee reviews candidates’ declarations of interests, followed by confirmation hearings before relevant parliamentary committees.

Historically, concerns have centered on candidates’ lack of expertise, vague responses, reluctance to commit politically, potential conflicts of interest, and integrity issues. While Parliament can only approve or reject the entire College, it has influenced changes in controversial appointments since 2004. Some experts warn against over-politicizing the process, but others support the hearings as a means to strengthen EU accountability and democracy.