On September 17, Ursula von der Leyen presented her proposed composition of the new European Commission. She presented in detail the new commissioners and the scope of their competences. Many people might think that this means that the Commission in its new composition is already starting to operate. Nothing could be further from the truth. What is more, the new commission may not start operating until December. Where do these delays come from and what will further work on its appointment look like?
The new commission will not start work on October 1st, and it probably won't start on November 1st either. Because although we already know the division of positions in the new College of Commissioners, we still don't know when the hearings in the European Parliament will begin.
To set a timetable for further work, a conference of presidents must meet, and its extraordinary meeting has not been scheduled until October 1.
Then, the parliamentary committee for legal affairs will receive the nominations' declarations of no conflict of interest – this is the first sieve intended to weed out candidates whose professional path or financial interests could constitute an obstacle to performing their duties in Brussels.
Then each of the potential commissioners will face a hearing – a several-hour series of questions from MEPs sitting on the relevant parliamentary committees. For example, the commissioner dealing with industry will answer questions from MEPs from the industry committee, and the Polish candidate for the budget commissioner will sit before MEPs from the budget committee.
Parliament always rejects at least one candidate
What makes it easier for the politicians being questioned is that they must receive the questions they will hear in writing in advance, and a special team within the European Commission helps in preparing the answers.
Two weeks to prepare questions and two weeks to prepare answers further lengthens the procedure.
After the hearings, the committees issue a recommendation and if they are positive, MEPs vote in plenary on the entire composition of the new European Commission. Theoretically, it is still possible to vote at the last plenary session in Strasbourg on 23 October.
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But that's only on the optimistic assumption that none of the nominees will be rejected, which is unlikely given the experience of recent years. The Parliament always rejects at least one candidate who has coped the worst with a series of questions from MEPs. That means having to change the name, another hearing and extending the whole process.
Hence, at the moment, the new commissioners are counting on starting work in early December. Although Ursula von der Leyen can observe this process from a distance, her questioning will not wait and the German will continue to sit in the chair of the president.
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Main image source: Reuters