15 November 2024
Between Monday 4 November and Tuesday 12 November, the 27 Commissioners-designate were interviewed by members of the European Parliament. Those hearings allow the European Parliament to probe each candidate’s suitability for the tasks set for them before it decides whether to endorse the composition of the College of Commissioners proposed by its President-elect.
Several issues of importance for the future of SGIs in Europe have been addressed during several hearings. This Newsflash will focus on those key points.
Please note that, at the time of writing, the approval of the six Executive Vice-President-designate and Commissioner-designate Varhelyi is still pending. A decision of the European Parliament is expected next week to proceed to the vote of the College of Commissioners as a whole during the November plenary of the European Parliament (25-28 November).
During the hearings of Commissioner-designate Dombrovskis and of EVP-designate Séjourné and Fitto, several issues relevant to the activities of SGI Europe’s Internal Market Board were addressed.
First, during the hearing of Valdis Dombrovskis, Commissioner-designate for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, on 7 November, a strong focus was put on simplification and reducing the administrative burden. On this occasion, Mr Dombrovskis recalled that simplification does not mean deregulation but should instead aimed at improving legislation and its implementation. He also stressed that strengthening cohesion and boosting competitiveness are not contradictory, arguing the need to strike the right balance between the two.
On Tuesday 12, Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President-designate for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, indicated that the Clean Industrial Deal should be expected in early 2025, building on the Net-Zero Industries Act and the Critical Raw Materials Act. It should primarily take a sectoral approach, with dedicated action plans for various ‘high impact’ sectors to be developed after stakeholder consultations. About public procurement, Mr Séjourné confirmed that an extended public consultation (involving explicitly local and regional authorities) will take place in late 2024, with a legislative proposal scheduled for 2026.
Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President-designate for Cohesion and Reforms, highlighted on his side that competitiveness cannot be achieved without cohesion, which is at the heart of the EU integration. He also explicitly referred to the ‘freedom to stay’ coined by Enrico Letta and the need to ensure that citizens in all EU regions can access jobs and services of general interest in their home region.
Addressing the future work on the circular economy, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President-designate for the Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, reiterated that creating a market for circular and bio-based products is a priority.
Contact: Ruben Sansom
Roxana Minzatu, Executive Vice-President-designate for People, Skills and Preparedness, responded to the questions of the members of the EMPL, CULT, FEMM and LIBE committees of the European Parliament during a 3-hour hearing on 12 November.
During her audition, Roxana Minzatu stated that the Quality Jobs Roadmap would be at the top of her mandate. While not bringing precise details on the initiative's content, Ms Minzatu recalled the importance of working with social partners. She also mentioned that an EU approach to AI in the workplace and the right to disconnect were crucial matters for the future roadmap.
The EVP-designate also shared that she will personally launch the second stage of the consultation of social partners on telework and the right to disconnect. She also indicated that this would come very soon after the entry into office of the new Commission and that the key objective of the future initiative should be that workers have “the same rights offline and online”.
In her responses, and in line with the commitment of President von der Leyen to simplify the EU acquis, she made evident that her general approach to social legislation would focus first on taking stock of existing initiatives at EU and national levels before considering further EU actions. She addressed, in particular, the questions of a new European instrument on psychosocial risks at work and a new initiative on minimum income schemes.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
Last week, Commissioners-designate Jessika Roswall (Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy) and Wopke Hoekstra (Climate, Net-Zero and Clean Growth) answered questions from members of the European Parliament on the plans for the next European Commission in the field of climate and environmental plans, amongst others.
During her hearing on 6 November, in front of MEPs from the ENVI committee, Jessika Roswall highlighted her focus on advancing the EU Green Deal, emphasising the circular economy and better use and functioning for a market of recycled materials. She also announced that the Commission intends to publish an initiative within the Chemicals Industry Package and will modernise REACH. She further clarified the use of PFAS in consumers and industrial products and presented plans for simplifying and speeding up the substitution of hazardous chemicals. She also confirmed that the Water Resilience Initiative will be a priority, with a source-to-sea approach to ensure water access and support sustainable agriculture.
On 7 November, Wopke Hoekstra was confirmed by MEPs of the ENVI, ITRE and ECON committee. During his hearing, he outlined the priorities for the EU’s climate goals, including the commitment to a 90% emission reduction by 2040. He also discussed upcoming policies, such as his contribution to the Clean Industrial Deal, the use of carbon capture and storage technologies and the future of the expansion of the Emission Trading System. He highlighted several building blocks of his actions, including supporting industrial decarbonisation, enabling access to sufficient and affordable energy for industry, promoting clean technologies, incentivising investments, and boosting skills. Mr Hoekstra also emphasised that negative emissions will be essential for achieving net-zero targets, pledging further to explore their inclusion in the EU’s climate toolbox.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
During their respective hearings, both Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner-designate for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, and Dan Jørgensen, Commissioner-designate for Energy and Housing, have emphasised the importance of implementing the existing EU legislative acquis, including the EU Green Deal, the Fit-for-55 package and the Sustainable Mobility package.
On 4 November, MEPs of the TRAN Committee approved Apostolos Tzitzikostas as Commissioner-designate for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. During the 3-hour meeting, Mr Tzitzikostas highlighted his commitment to boosting the EU transport sector’s competitiveness while advancing its green and digital transitions. He also highlighted the necessity of completing the TEN-T network and strengthening transport safety. He pledged to present a sustainable transport investment plan (STIP) in 2025. He committed to supporting a modal shift through improved high-speed connections across the EU and the introduction of a digital booking system for rail.
The following day, Dan Jørgensen presented his vision on energy and housing to multiple EU committees, including ITRE and EMPL. In particular, Mr Jørgensen emphasised critical action areas such as energy poverty, renewable investment, and housing access. He highlighted the urgent need to address high energy costs and propose reforms to support vulnerable populations. He acknowledged the Member States' diverse energy mixes and called for a balanced, technology-neutral approach. While understanding the need to focus on implementing the FF55 Package, Mr Jorgensen expressed a willingness to improve the electricity market design, including the potential decoupling of electricity prices from fossil fuel prices. Regarding the housing dimension, Commissioner-designate Jørgensen indicated that the Affordable Housing Plan will be prepared following stakeholder consultations and should focus on construction, investment and upskilling workers. He also highlighted that financial support to the sector might go beyond the ‘most vulnerable groups’ currently covered by social housing; however, he recalls that the housing market as a whole should not be distorted.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
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