From the 4th to the 12th of November, the hearings of the appointed commissioners will take place following the decision of the Conference of Presidents (President of the EP and leaders of the political parties).

As the European Parliament states in its announcement, it was also decided to divide the responsibilities between the committees for the confirmation hearings. The detailed timetable for when each commissioner-designate will appear in the relevant committee will be decided by the Conference of Presidents at its next meeting.

The European Parliament invites the designated commissioners to appear before the appropriate committees for hearings in order to examine whether they are suitable for the posts to which they have been assigned.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metzola, said that “the hearings for the designated commissioners are an important moment for European democracy. Members of the European Parliament will thoroughly check each candidate’s competence, independence and European commitment before voting for the House as a whole. Democracy will not make concessions. With a new legislative term comes new expectations. Citizens rightly want solutions to their concerns. The European Parliament will continue to play its role in ensuring that our European Union delivers.”

The process

Before the hearings, Parliament’s legal affairs committee scrutinizes the declarations of interests of the designated commissioners. In order for the designated commissioner to participate in a hearing, there must be no conflicts of interest.

Depending on the portfolio, a given commissioner may be assessed by one parliamentary committee (responsible committee) or by more than one committee (joint committees). Other committees may be invited to participate, i.e. they may contribute with oral questions, while the final evaluation of the candidates rests with the coordinators of the relevant committee.

The hearings will be followed by meetings in which the committee chair and the group representatives (coordinators) of the various committees will assess whether a Commissioner-designate is qualified both to be a member of the House and to carry out the specific tasks assigned to him assigned .

Once all hearings are completed, the Conference of Committee Chairs will assess the outcome of the confirmation hearings and forward its findings to the Conference of Presidents. The latter will conduct the final evaluation and decide whether to close the hearings.

Election of the Committee in the Plenary

Following the conclusion of the hearings, Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen will present the College of Commissioners and its program to the plenary.

Her statement will be followed by a debate and any political group or at least one-twentieth of the MPs (low limit) can table a motion for a resolution.

The full Commission needs the consent of Parliament (by a majority of those voting, by roll call).

Once elected by Parliament, the Commission is formally appointed by the European Council, acting by a qualified majority.