34 Appointment of the EU Commission
| Committee's assessment
| Politically important |
| Committee's decision | Cleared from scrutiny
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| Document details | Decision of the Council and the President-elect of the Commission adopting the list of other persons whom the Council proposes as Members of the Commission
|
| Legal base | Article 17(7) TEU
|
| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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| Document number | (36310), 12777/14, —
|
Summary and Committee's conclusions
34.1 The mandate of the current EU Commission expires on 31 October
2014. The procedure for appointing the Commission to serve from
2014 to 2019 requires the Council, in common accord with the President-elect
(Mr Jean-Claude Juncker), to adopt the list of other persons it
proposes for appointment as Commissioners. This Decision, the
subject of this Chapter, was compiled from suggestions made by
the Member States, who each nominate one Commissioner. The list
is subject, as a body, to the consent of the European Parliament.[169]
Each nominee has provided answers to a questionnaire and undergone
a pre-appointment hearing in public before the appropriate European
Parliament Committee.[170]
34.2 The European Parliament in practice can and does object to
individual nominations. Objection has been raised against the
Slovenian nominee Alenka Bratušek,
who has, consequently, withdrawn her nomination and been replaced
by Violeta Bulc. This may entail a change in the portfolios, which
are assigned separately by the President-elect. Should the European
Parliament's objection be resolved, a vote on the new Commission
is likely take place during the European Parliament's plenary
session of 20-23 October 2014. This would enable the new Commission
to take Office on 1 November 2014.
34.3 Those nominated by this Decision, and their
portfolios, are:
· Mr
Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS — Health and Food Safety
· Mr
Andrus ANSIP — Digital Single Market
· Mr
Miguel ARIAS CANETE — Climate Action and Energy
· Mr
Dimitris AVRAMOPOULOS — Migration and Home Affairs
· Ms
Elzbieta BIENKOWSKA — Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship
and SMEs
· Ms
Alenka BRATUSEK — Energy Union
· Ms
Corina CRETU — Regional Policy
· Mr
Valdis DOMBROVSKIS — Euro and Social Dialogue
· Ms
Kristalina GEORGIEVA — Budget and Human Resources
· Mr
Johannes HAHN — European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement
Negotiations
· Mr
Jonathan HILL — Financial Stability, Financial Services
and Capital Markets Union
· Mr
Phil HOGAN — Agriculture and Rural Development
· Ms
Vera JOUROVA — Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality
· Mr
Jyrki KATAINEN — Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness
· Ms
Cecilia MALMSTROM — Trade
· Mr
Neven MIMICA — International Cooperation and Development
· Mr
Carlos MOEDAS — Research, Science and Innovation
· Mr
Pierre MOSCOVICI — Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation
and Customs
· Mr
Tibor NAVRACSICS — Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship
· Mr
Gunther OETTINGER — Digital Economy and Society
· Mr
MAROS SEFCOVIC — Transport and Space
· Mr
Christos STYLIANIDES — Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management
· Ms
Marianne THYSSEN — Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and
Labour Mobility
· Mr
F.C.G.M. (Frans) TIMMERMANS — Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional
Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights
· Mr
Karmenu VELLA — Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
· Ms
Margrethe VESTAGER — Competition
· Ms
Federica MOGHERINI — High Representative of the Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
34.4 This Decision is an important step in establishing
the new Commission, which will play a pivotal role in determining
the future of the EU. We are grateful to Lord Hill for agreeing
to appear before this Committee on 29 October. This will provide
an opportunity to examine further the political implications of
this Decision in the light of the outcome of proceedings in the
European Parliament.
34.5 In the meantime we clear this Decision. Given
its nature we do not take any issue that agreement to it constituted
an override of scrutiny.
Full details of
the documents: Council
Decision, taken by common accord with the President-elect of the
Commission, adopting the list of the other persons whom the Council
proposes for appointment as Members of the Commission (36310),
12777/14, —.
Background
34.6 The portfolios reflect an intended new approach
for the structure of the College of Commissioners based on team
work. The portfolios of Vice-Presidents Ansip, Bratušek,
Dombrovskis, Katainen and Mogherini will be projects which each
of these Vice-Presidents "will steer and co-ordinate a number
of Commissioners in compositions that may change according to
need and as new projects develop".[171]
34.7 Vice President Timmermans will act at the right
hand man of President Juncker, charged in particular with ensuring
that each Commission proposal respects the principles of subsidiarity
and proportionality. He will also act as a watchdog upholding
the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law and will
be tasked with overseeing the Commission's relations with national
parliaments and other EU institutions.
The Explanatory Memorandum of 25 September 2014
34.8 In his Explanatory Memorandum the Minister for
Europe (Mr David Lidington) notes that the Prime-Minister nominated
Lord Hill as UK Commissioner and the President-elect has welcomed
the extensive political experience that he will bring. His proposed
portfolio of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital
Markets is an important economic dossier.
34.9 The Minister also states:
"The Government considers the appointment
of a new Commission to be of importance for our EU objectives,
including the reform proposals set out in speeches made by the
Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in January and October
2013 respectively. The Government will engage closely with the
Commission to ensure that its first Work Programme and early policy
announcements are in line with UK objectives and advance the reforms
to the EU that the British people want to see.
"The appointment of a new Commission also
presents an opportunity for Select Committees to engage Commissioners
on UK priorities. Mr Juncker has written to each Commissioner
expressing his desire for them to commit to a new relationship
with national parliaments, and his wish that, under the coordination
of the First Vice-President, Commissioners present important proposals
or initiatives in national parliaments. Lord Hill has already
agreed to appear before the European Scrutiny Committee, EU Select
Committee, and Foreign Affairs Committee."
Previous Committee Reports
None.
169 Given by a majority of votes cast. Back
170
Rule 118 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament. Back
171
Press release of 10 September 2014: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-984_en.htm Back
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