This compendium brings together a set of briefings prepared by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) to guide Members of the European Parliament through the parliamentary hearings of Commissioners-designate in early November 2024. These public confirmation hearings form the backdrop to Parliament's confirmation vote on the College of Commissioners put forward by Ursula von der Leyen, following her re-election as Commission President by the European Parliament in July 2024. In addition to an overview of the process, setting its historical and political context, this volume contains a briefing on each of the Commissioners-designate and their portfolios. Each of these briefings highlights some of the key issues and recent developments in the portfolio, as well as looking back on Parliament's activity in the area in the last parliamentary term.
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- Belgium
Table of Contents
- Contents 3
- Foreword 5
- Briefings.pdf -1
- 01-EPRS-Briefing-762450-Hearings-2024-Ribera-Transition-FINAL -1
- Teresa Ribera Rodríguez has held senior posts in the Spanish government since 2018, most recently serving as third vice-president of the government and minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge (2021-2024), fourth vice-president of ... -1
- Since 2000, Ribera Rodríguez has been involved in the international climate negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. From 2013 to 2014, she was advisor on energy and climate programme at the Institute for Sustainable... -1
- Member of the Spanish parliament, representing the Socialist party, since 2019, Ribera was state secretary for climate change and biodiversity in a previous government from 2008 to 2011. -1
- Born in 1969 in Madrid, Ribera Rodríguez holds a law degree from Madrid's Complutense University and a diploma in constitutional law and political science from the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the vice-president -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Stéphane Séjourné (Vice-President): Prosperity and Industrial Policy -1
- Wopke Hoekstra: Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth -1
- Dan Jørgensen: Energy and Housing -1
- Jessika Roswall: Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy -1
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Economy and Productivity -1
- Piotr Serafin: Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Responding to a 2022 Eurobarometer survey, 83 % of participants agreed that competition gives consumers more choice, and 82 % considered that it encourages innovation and economic growth. -1
- In the 2023 Eurobarometer on climate change 93 % of participants viewed climate change as a serious problem. In the same survey, 85 % of participants agreed that the EU should boost the manufacturing of clean energy and 79 % thought that EU measures s... -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Articles 101-109 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) form the basis for the EU's competition policy. -1
- EU environment policy is based on Articles 191 to 193 TFEU. Article 191 lists climate action as one of the objectives of EU environment policy. Article 11 TFEU also requires environmental protection to be taken account in other EU policies. -1
- Article 194 TFEU is the legal basis for EU energy policy. Legislation under this article usually follows the ordinary legislative procedure, which gives an equal role to the Council and the Parliament. An exception is made for measures 'primarily of a... -1
- Social and employment policies are underpinned by Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and Articles 9, 10, 19, 45-48 and 145-161 TFEU. -1
- Recent developments -1
- 02-EPRS-Briefing-762455-Hearings-2024-Virkkunen-EVP-Tech-sovereignty-rev-FINAL -1
- Henna Virkkunen is a Finnish politician and member of the National Coalition Party, which is affiliated with the European People's Party group in the European Parliament. She has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014, serving inter alia ... -1
- In Parliament, Virkkunen has worked on various technology and cybersecurity dossiers such as the Digital Services Act, the Cyber-Resilience Act and the Connecting Europe Facility. -1
- Before her election to the European Parliament, Virkkunen was a member of the Finnish Parliament (2007-2014) and was part of the Finnish government as minister for education and science, minister for public administration and local government, and tra... -1
- Born in 1972 in Joutsa, Finland, Virkkunen holds master's (2001) and bachelor's degrees (2000) from the University of Jyväskylä. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the Vice-President -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 03-EPRS-Briefing-762454-Hearings-2024-Sejourne-EVP-Prosperity-rev-FINAL -1
- Before being nominated as Commissioner-designate, Stéphane Séjourné had been serving as French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs since January 2024. In July 2024, he was elected to the French Parliament for the ninth constituency of Hauts-de-Sei... -1
- From 2019 to 2024, Séjourné was a Member of the European Parliament, and President of the Renew Europe group (2021-2024). Before that, he was a political adviser to the President of the French Republic from 2017 to 2019, and an adviser to the Minister... -1
- Séjourné was previously a member of the cabinet of the President of the Île-de-France Regional Council (2012-2014). Prior to that, he worked for a federation of grocery and specialised nutrition products from 2011 to 2012. -1
- Born in 1985, Séjourné graduated from the University of Poitiers with a double masters in law. He was also an Erasmus student at the University of Granada in international and EU law. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the vice-president -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 04-EPRS-Briefing-762452-Hearings-2024-Kallas-HRVP-Foreign-affairs-FINAL -1
- Kaja Kallas served as the prime minister of Estonia from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, she was awarded the Walther Rathenau Prize in recognition of outstanding lifetime achievement in foreign policy. -1
- Having joined the Estonian Reform Party in 2011, Kallas has been its leader since April 2018. From 2011 to 2014, she was a member of the Estonian Parliament (12th Riigikogu) and served as chair of its Economic Affairs Committee (2011). She was also a ... -1
- As a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2018, Kallas belonged to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE, now Renew Europe) political group. During this term, Kallas was Vice-Chair of Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Ukrai... -1
- Kallas was born in 1977 in Tallinn. She graduated from the University of Tartu in 1999 with a degree in law and pursued postgraduate studies at the Estonian Business School in 2007. Before entering politics, Kallas worked as an attorney at law. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Forging a common foreign and security policy -1
- Facing budgetary challenges -1
- Supporting Ukraine's security and reconstruction -1
- Strengthening the EU's security and defence -1
- Promoting peace in the Middle East and North Africa region -1
- Redefining EU-Russia relations and trade -1
- Maintaining the transatlantic community of values and interests -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 05-EPRS-Briefing-762449-Hearings-2024-Minzatu-EVP-People-Skills-FINAL -1
- Roxana Mînzatu became a Member of the European Parliament in July 2024. She belongs to the Social Democratic Party in Romania, which is affiliated with the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. -1
- Mînzatu served as secretary of state in Bucharest, first at the Ministry of European Investments and Projects, then at the government's General Secretariat, where she had been coordinator for the Department for the integrated evaluation and monitoring... -1
- Mînzatu was a member of the Romanian Parliament from 2016 to 2020 and served as secretary of state at the Ministry of European Funds, and later as minister for European funds. She was also the president of the National Agency for Public Procurement. M... -1
- Born in 1980, Mînzatu has a master's degree in European Integration from the Christian University Dimitrie Cantemir in Bucharest. Before entering politics, she gained professional experience in various roles, including within the Romanian Business Sch... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the Vice-President -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 06-EPRS-Briefing-762453-Hearings-2024-Fitto-EVP-Cohesion-rev-FINAL -1
- Raffaele Fitto is an Italian politician, and has been minister for European affairs, Southern Italy, cohesion policy and the national recovery and resilience plan since 2022. -1
- A former Member of the European Parliament (from 1999-2000 and 2014-2022), Fitto was co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group from 2019 to 2022, and was thus a member of the Conference of Presidents. He served on the Committee... -1
- A long-serving Member of the Italian Parliament (Camera dei Deputati), Fitto's terms of office ran between 2006 and 2014 and from 2022 to the present day. Fitto was Italian minister for regional affairs from 2008 to 2010 and minister for territorial c... -1
- During his earlier career, Fitto was President of the Apulia region (2000-2005) and served repeatedly as Councillor for the Apulia region (1990-1994 and 2005-2006). Fitto was Regional Councillor for Tourism for Apulia from 1994 to 1995, and Vice-Presi... -1
- Born in 1969, Fitto holds a doctorate in law from the University of Bari (1994). -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the vice-president -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Economy and Productivity -1
- Marta Kos: Enlargement -1
- Costas Kadis: Oceans and Fisheries -1
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Sustainable Transport and Tourism -1
- Christophe Hansen: Agriculture and Food -1
- European Parliament priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Recent developments -1
- 07-EPRS-Briefing-762445-Hearings-2024-Sefcovic-Trade-FINAL -1
- Maroš Šefčovič has served as the European Commission's Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight since August 2023. This portfolio included overseeing the EU's relations with the United Kingdom, A... -1
- A long-serving member of the European Commission, from 2019 to 2023, Šefčovič was the Commission's Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. From 2014 to 2019, he was its Vice-President for Energy Union. From 2010 to 2014, he was ... -1
- Born in Bratislava in 1966, Šefčovič enrolled in the University of Economics in his home town in 1984, but from 1985 to 1990 pursued his studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 2000, he earned a PhD in international law at... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 08-EPRS-Briefing-762444-Hearings-2024-Dombrovskis-Economy-FINAL -1
- Valdis Dombrovskis is European Commission Executive Vice-President and currently holds an economic portfolio, which since 2020 also includes trade. After becoming Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue in 2016, in 2019 he was promo... -1
- In 2014, Dombrovskis was elected a Member of the European Parliament, sitting in the European Paople's Party (EPP) group, a post he had already held from 2004 to 2009. He was a member of the Committee on Budgets and a substitute member of the Economic... -1
- Dombrovskis served as Latvia's prime minister from 2009 to 2014. Prior to this, from 2002 to 2004, he served as the country's finance minister. -1
- Born in 1971 in Riga, Latvia, Dombrovskis earned a master's degree in physics from the University of Latvia. He later obtained a professional master's degree in customs and tax administration from Riga Technical University. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 09-EPRS-Briefing-762436-Hearings-2024-Suica-Mediterranean-rev-FINAL -1
- Dubravka Šuica has served as a Member of the European Commission and Vice-President for Demography and Democracy since 2019. She was also the co-chair of the Conference on the Future of Europe. From 2013 to 2019, Šuica was a Member of the European Par... -1
- As a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Šuica served three terms in the Croatian Parliament, from 2000 until 2011, also holding the position of vice-chair of the EU Integration Committee. -1
- From 2001 to 2009, Šuica served two terms as the first female mayor of Dubrovnik, her hometown. In 2006, she was honoured with the World Mayor Award. -1
- From 2004 to 2009, Šuica was a board member of the Union of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Croatia. She later served as a councillor on the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Assembly. She also served as the president of the Croatian Delegation ... -1
- Born in 1957, Šuica graduated in English and German language and literature. She started her career in education, first as a teacher and later as director of Dubrovnik High School. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Fostering a common EU policy -1
- A new pact for the Mediterranean -1
- Middle East strategy and the war in Gaza -1
- External dimension of migration policy -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 10-EPRS-Briefing-762441-Hearings-2024-Varhelyi-Health-FINAL -1
- Olivér Várhelyi, the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare, has worked on EU-related issues throughout his professional career. He has been serving as Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement since 2019. -1
- From 2015 to 2019 he held the dual roles of Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU, having served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary from 2011 to 2015. -1
- From 2008 to 2011, Várhelyi headed the Commission's Unit for Industrial Property Rights in the Directorate General for Internal Market and Services. -1
- Várhelyi was part of the team that negotiated Hungary's accession to the EU: initially, as Head of the Legal Unit at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Cabinet of the Deputy Head of the State Secretary for Integration of Hungary... -1
- Born in 1972, Várhelyi earned a master's degree in European legal studies from Aalborg University and he holds a law degree from the University of Szeged's Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- According to a 2024 Eurobarometer survey, public health is citizens' third priority area for EU action in the medium term. In a 2023 survey on mental health, some 77 % of respondents felt that mental health patients were judged differently than other ... -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- In accordance with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU has supporting competence in health (41TArticle 641T). Parliament and Council, as co-legislators, can adopt health legislation under 41TArticle 16841T (public health... -1
- Recent developments -1
- 11-EPRS-Briefing-762448-Hearings-2024-Hoekstra-Climate-FINAL -1
- Wopke Hoekstra has served as the Commissioner for Climate Action since October 2023. In this role, he represented the European Union at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2023. -1
- Starting in early 2024, Hoekstra, along with the Executive Vice-President in charge of the European Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič, has been communicating on behalf of the Commission regarding its 2040 climate target and managing climate risks. He has als... -1
- From 2011 to 2017, Hoekstra was a Member of the Dutch Senate representing Christian Democratic Appeal (the CDA), affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament. In October 2017, he became the minister of finance, a po... -1
- Born in 1975, Hoekstra studied law at Leiden University, from which he graduated in 2001. In 2005, he obtained an INSEAD MBA degree. Early in his career Hoekstra held commercial posts at Shell. In 2006, he joined global consulting company McKinsey, be... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Recent developments -1
- 12-EPRS-Briefing-762437-Hearings-2024-Kubilius-Defence-FINAL -1
- Andrius Kubilius has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019, where he sits in the European People's Party (EPP) group. He has served among other things as a member of the AFET and ITRE committees and of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (D... -1
- Prior to his time in the European Parliament, he served two terms as Lithuania's prime minister (from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012). -1
- From 2003 to 2015, Kubilius chaired the Homeland Union (Lithuanian Christian Democrats) party. -1
- From 1992 to 2019, he served as a member of the Republic of Lithuania's national parliament, the Seimas. When not in government, he had various periods when he held the position of leader of the opposition or first deputy speaker, and also had a spell... -1
- Andrius Kubilius was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1956. He received a degree in physics from Vilnius State University and completed postgraduate studies there too. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 13-EPRS-Briefing-762434-Hearings-2024-Kos-Enlargement-rev-FINAL -1
- Marta Kos is self-employed, working through Kos Consulting and Coaching (2021-present), and a senior advisor at the Brussels consulting firm Kreab. -1
- From 2017 to 2021, she was Slovenian Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and Ambassador to Germany and Latvia (2013-2017). -1
- As president of the Slovenian women's association ONA VE ('she knows'), Kos works to raise the profile of female experts. -1
- Kos has been engaged in Slovenia's political life as a vice-president of the social-liberal Freedom Movement party. Among the positions she held while employed by the government were director of the Public Relations and Media Office, and government sp... -1
- Between 2003 and 2013, Kos headed Gustav Käser Training International Slovenia, specialising in leadership and sales training. -1
- Until 2003, Kos was vice-president for international relations at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. -1
- Kos earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1989 and, in 2001, a master's degree in political science from the University of Ljubljana. -1
- Marta Kos, Slovenia -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Making the EU institutions enlargement-ready -1
- Budgetary challenges -1
- Support for Ukraine and reconstruction costs -1
- Security and defence -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 14-EPRS-Briefing-762439-Hearings-2024-Sikela-International-partnerships-rev2-FINAL -1
- Jozef Síkela (Mayors and Independents Party, STAN) affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP), has served as the Czech minister for industry and trade since December 2021. In this position, his focus has been on reducing his country's reliance on... -1
- Síkela has served in various banks, notably as the head of the Slovak Savings Bank and as board member of the Austrian Erste Group Bank. -1
- Born in 1967 in Rokycany, Czechia, Síkela studied foreign trade economics at the Prague University of Economics and Business. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Priority partnerships -1
- Securing the EU's economic needs while ensuring mutual interest -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- Team Europe and the Global Gateway -1
- EU with Africa strategy and Samoa Agreement with ACP states -1
- Migration partnerships -1
- 15-EPRS-Briefing-762435-Hearings-2024-Kadis-Fisheries-FINAL -1
- Costas (Costantinos) Kadis is a scientist with a solid academic profile who has held ministerial portfolios in health, education and agriculture in various Cypriot governments. -1
- Kadis is professor of biodiversity conservation at Frederick University, where he also heads the Nature Conservation Unit and has been appointed as deputy president of the University Council. Between 2014 and 2023, Kadis served in two successive Cypri... -1
- Born in Nicosia in 1967, Kadis graduated and obtained a PhD in biology from the University of Athens. After several research-related positions in Greece and Cyprus, he joined Frederick University in Cyprus in 2005, where he was appointed associate pro... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 16-EPRS-Briefing-762430-Hearings-2024-Albuquerque-Financial-services-FINAL -1
- Maria Luís Albuquerque was independent non-executive director and a member of the Audit, Risk, and Nomination committees at Morgan Stanley, and a member of the Operating Team at Horizon Equity Partners. She was a member of the ISCTE University Institu... -1
- Prior to these roles, she was an independent non-executive director (chair of the Sustainability Committee) at the asset management firm Arrow Global Group (2016-2021), and a member of the High-level forum on the capital markets union, an expert group... -1
- In her political career, she has served as an elected member of the Municipal Assembly of Almada (2017-2021), a member of the Portuguese Parliament (2015-2019), minister of state and finance (2013-2015), and deputy minister for the treasury (2011-2013... -1
- Born in 1967, Maria-Luís Albuquerque holds a master's degree in financial and monetary economics from the Lisbon School of Financial and Monetary Economics (ISEG), and a degree in economics from the University of Lusíada. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 17-EPRS-Briefing-762440-Hearings-2024-Lahbib-Preparedness-rev-FINAL -1
- Hadja Lahbib a member of the Mouvement reformateur (MR) party, which sits with the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, has been serving as Belgian minister for foreign affairs, European affairs and foreign trade, and federal cultural instit... -1
- She was elected as a member of the Parliament of the Brussels Capital Region in 2024 but is currently on leave to fulfil her ministerial duties. -1
- Before joining the Belgian government, she co-led the Brussels bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2030. -1
- Born in Belgium in 1970 to a family of Algerian Kabyle origin, Lahbib obtained a master's degree in journalism and communication from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. She then worked as a journalist and presenter for Belgium's French-speaking public... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament (EP) competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 18-EPRS-Briefing-762429-Hearings-2024-Brunner-Internal-affairs-FINAL -1
- Magnus Brunner has been Austria's federal minister for finance since December 2021. Prior to this role, he served as a state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology from 2020 to... -1
- From 2018 to 2020, Brunner was vice-president of the Federal Council of Austria, after having served as a member of this institution from 2009 to 2020. Additionally, he served on the Municipal Council of the Höchst Municipality from 2000 to 2004. -1
- From 2009 to 2020 Brunner was a member of the Federal Council of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament. -1
- Brunner's earlier professional experience includes serving as the political director of the Austrian Economic Association (2002-2005), as well as holding the position of head of corporate development, communication and strategic development at the Aus... -1
- Born in 1972, Brunner is a graduate of King's College London (LLM), the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna (where he obtained a PhD in law). -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 19-EPRS-Briefing-762438-Hearings-2024-Roswall-Environment-FINAL -1
- Jessika Roswall is a politician from the Moderate Party in Sweden, affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP). -1
- Prior to her nomination for the post of Commissioner, Roswall was Sweden's minister for European affairs, from October 2022 to September 2024. -1
- Between 2010 and 2022, she served as a member of the Swedish Parliament, holding the position of second vice-president of its EU affairs committee from 2019 to 2022. -1
- Roswall was also a member of the 'transparency councils' of the Swedish Consumer Agency (2015-2018), the County Administrative Board of Uppsala (2016-2022), and the Authority for Work Environment Expertise (2018-2019). -1
- Born in 1972 in the county of Uppsala, Jessika Roswall holds a law degree from Uppsala University. After graduating in 2002, she worked as a lawyer for the law firm Wigert & Placht, from 2002 to 2010. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- In a May 2024 Eurobarometer 41Tsurvey41T, over 75 % of the EU citizens polled thought environmental issues had a direct impact on their daily lives, while 84 % agreed that EU environmental legislation was necessary to protect the environment in their ... -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 20-EPRS-Briefing-762451-Hearings-2024-Serafin-Budget-FINAL -1
- Piotr Serafin is currently acting Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU. -1
- From 2020 to 2023, he was Director of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. From 2014 to 2019, Serafin served as Head of Cabinet for the European Council President, Donald Tusk. -1
- From 2012 to 2014, Serafin held the position of secretary of state for European affairs at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously, from 2010 to 2012, he served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for the EU Commissioner for Financial Programming and... -1
- From 1999 to 2009, Serafin worked at the Polish Office of the Committee for European Integration, first as a specialist in EU budget and institutional issues, supporting the chief negotiators for Poland's accession to the EU, and then as coordinator a... -1
- Born in 1974 in Sulęcin, Poland, Serafin has a degree in economics from the Warsaw School of Economics and a degree in law from the University of Warsaw. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 21-EPRS-Briefing-762431-Hearings-2024-Jorgensen-Energy-FINAL -1
- Dan Jørgensen has most recently served as Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Minister for Global Climate Policy. His role has been to oversee Denmark's international development initiatives and global climate policies, including co-facili... -1
- Jørgensen is a member of the Social Democratic Party in Denmark, which is affiliated to the S&D group in the European Parliament. He has been a member of the Danish parliament since 2015 and previously served as Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fish... -1
- Jørgensen was a Member of the European Parliament (2004-2013), where he served as vice-chair of the Committee on Environment, president of the Animal Welfare Intergroup and head of the Danish delegation of Social Democrats (2009-2013). -1
- Born in 1975, Jørgensen holds a master's degree in political science from Aarhus University. His professional career also includes academic positions as adjunct professor and external lecturer. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- Housing -1
- 22-EPRS-Briefing-762442-Hearings-2024-Zaharieva-Research-FINAL -1
- Ekaterina Zaharieva is currently a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly, representing the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (EPP). -1
- Having served in several Bulgarian governments, Zaharieva held the dual position of deputy prime minister for judicial reform and minister of foreign affairs from 2017 to 2021. Earlier, she served as minister of justice from 2015 to 2017, as deputy pr... -1
- After earning a master's degree in law from Paisii Hilendarski University in Plovdiv, Zaharieva had followed a career as a lawyer, and then as a civil servant from 2017 to 2021. -1
- Zaharieva was born in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, in 1975. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- Horizon Europe -1
- European research area (ERA) -1
- 23-EPRS-Briefing-762432-Hearings-2024-McGrath-Justice-rev-FINAL -1
- Michael McGrath (born in 1976), is an Irish politician, a member of the Fianna Fáil party, which belongs to the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. He holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from University College Cork (1997). -1
- Most recently, he was minister for finance (2022-2024) and before that, minister for public expenditure and reform (2020-2022). -1
- McGrath has been a member of the lower house of the Irish Parliament (the Oireachtas) for the Cork South-Central constituency since 2007. -1
- Between 2011 and 2020 he was lead opposition spokesperson on finance on behalf of Fianna Fáil. Before joining the Irish Parliament, McGrath was an elected local government representative on Cork County Council (2004-2007) and Passage West Town Council... -1
- McGrath's professional experience includes being head of management information and systems at University College Cork (2003-2005), financial controller at RedFM (2001-2003), and a chartered accountant at KPMG (1997-2001), as well as a board member of... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 24-EPRS-Briefing-762446-Hearings-2024-Tzitzikostas-Transport-FINAL -1
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas has been First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) since 2022. Having joined the CoR in 2015, he served as its President from 2020 to 2022. -1
- Governor of the Central Macedonia Region since 2014, Tzitzikostas has been president of the Association of Greek Regions since November 2019. -1
- From 2010 to 2014, Tzitzikostas served as the deputy regional governor for the Central Macedonia Region and head of the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area. -1
- From 2007 to 2009, Tzitzikostas was a member of the Greek Parliament with the Nea Demokratia Party (EPP). -1
- Born in 1978, Tzitzikostas graduated in government and international relations at Georgetown University, Washington DC, in 2000. He then earned a master's degree in European Public Policy and Economics from University College London. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 25-EPRS-Briefing-762443-Hearings-2024-Hansen-Agriculture-FINAL -1
- Christophe Hansen was re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament in June 2024 where he sits in the EPP group and is currently a member of the Committees for International Trade, Employment and Social Affairs, and Transport and Tourism. -1
- In the previous parliamentary term, Hansen sat on the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Tax Matters. He also served as Quaestor for a year, before stepping down after being elected to the Luxembourg Parliament in October 2023. -1
- In 2014, Hansen joined the Luxembourg Permanent Representation to the EU, chaired the Council of the EU's Working Party on the Environment during the Luxembourg Presidency (July-December 2015), and served as an economic and commercial attaché at the L... -1
- From March 2017 to August 2018, Hansen represented Luxembourg in the European Economic and Social Committee. From 2007 to 2014, he had worked in the European Parliament as a political adviser to the centre-right MEP Astrid Lulling on agriculture, the ... -1
- Christophe Hansen was born in 1982 in Wiltz, Luxembourg. He earned a master's degree in geosciences, environmental sciences and risk management from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg in 2007. -1
- Christophe Hansen, Luxembourg. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Legal basis for the EU's and European Parliament's competence in the area of agriculture -1
- Recent developments -1
- 26-EPRS-Briefing-762447-Hearings-2024-Micallef-Intergenerational-fairness-FINAL -1
- From 2020 to June 2024, Glenn Micallef served as the head of the Secretariat of the Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, as well as his adviser on EU affairs, and as Malta's sherpa at the European Council. Additionally, from 2021 to 2024 he held the ... -1
- Prior to these roles, Micallef worked as a research analyst for the Maltese Ministry for EU Affairs, focusing on the Council of the EU's competitiveness configuration. He then headed the unit for external relations and preparations for the 2017 Maltes... -1
- Born in 1989, Micallef graduated from the University of Malta with a degree in commerce and economics. He also holds a master's degree in European politics, law and economics from the same university. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- EPRS-Briefing-762400-Confirmation-hearings-Commissioners-designate-2024-FINAL.pdf -1
- Summary -1
- The confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate before the European Parliament's committees play a vital role in informing Parliament before it decides on the proposed composition of the College of Commissioners. Ahead of the autumn 2024 hear... -1
- First, the Legal Affairs Committee scrutinises the declaration of interests of each Commissioner-designate. Second, each Commissioner-designate appears before the competent parliamentary committee or committees for a single confirmation hearing. -1
- In the past, the main criticism levelled at some of the Commissioners-designate has involved their having insufficient expertise in their respective portfolios, as well as the vagueness of their answers and their reluctance to make political commitmen... -1
- While some experts have advised against the excessive politicisation of the confirmation hearings, others have welcomed the increased accountability of the Commission to Parliament, and have praised the deepening of the political link between the two ... -1
- This is a further updated version of a September 2019 briefing by Maria Diaz Crego, itself an update of a 2014 briefing by Eva-Maria Poptcheva. -1
- Parliament's role in the appointment of Commissioners -1
- Ever-increasing influence -1
- The current situation -1
- Composition of the College: Number of Commissioners -1
- Criteria to be fulfilled by Commissioners-designate -1
- Nominating the Commissioners: Who does what -1
- The final steps of the procedure: Parliament's vote of consent -1
- Procedure for the confirmation hearings -1
- Examination of declarations of interests -1
- Organisation of the hearings: Committee responsible and allocation of time -1
- Evaluation of Commissioners-designate after the hearings -1
- Critical issues in past hearings -1
- Strengthening the Commission's democratic accountability -1
- EPRS_BRIE_762863_ECOS_EU_Political_priorities_2024-29_final.pdf -1
- The EU's priorities for the 5-year institutional cycle are outlined in the European Council's Strategic Agenda. Subsequently, the European Commission sets its priorities in the president's political guidelines, which are a first step in operationalisi... -1
- This briefing outlines the main policy priorities for the EU in the coming years, and analyses the differences in views of the European Council and the European Commission. With some exceptions, the European Council's and the Commission's policy prior... -1
- The comparison identifies the topics that are missing from one or the other document, points out where different approaches are being taken on specific policy issues and where particular concepts have changed since the last institutional cycle. The br... -1
- The EU's political priorities in two strategic documents -1
- Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 -1
- European Commission political guidelines -1
- Main political priorities -1
- Structure -1
- Table 1 – Main priorities in the Strategic Agenda and the political guidelines for 2024-2029 -1
- Comparison -1
- Changes to the priorities since the last institutional cycle -1
- Figure 1 – Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 -1
- Policy clusters -1
- General attention to policy clusters -1
- Specific policy differences -1
- Figure 2 – Attention paid to different policy clusters -1
- Explicit initiatives in the political guidelines -1
- Initiatives with a timeline -1
- Conclusion -1
- Table 2 – Specific policy initiatives in the political guidelines per policy cluster -1
- Blank Page -1
- Inside.pdf -1
- EPRS-AaG-762424-Hearings-Calendar-November-2024-final -1
- Briefings -1
- 01-EPRS-Briefing-762450-Hearings-2024-Ribera-Transition-FINAL -1
- Teresa Ribera Rodríguez has held senior posts in the Spanish government since 2018, most recently serving as third vice-president of the government and minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge (2021-2024), fourth vice-president of ... -1
- Since 2000, Ribera Rodríguez has been involved in the international climate negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. From 2013 to 2014, she was advisor on energy and climate programme at the Institute for Sustainable... -1
- Member of the Spanish parliament, representing the Socialist party, since 2019, Ribera was state secretary for climate change and biodiversity in a previous government from 2008 to 2011. -1
- Born in 1969 in Madrid, Ribera Rodríguez holds a law degree from Madrid's Complutense University and a diploma in constitutional law and political science from the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the vice-president -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Stéphane Séjourné (Vice-President): Prosperity and Industrial Policy -1
- Wopke Hoekstra: Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth -1
- Dan Jørgensen: Energy and Housing -1
- Jessika Roswall: Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy -1
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Economy and Productivity -1
- Piotr Serafin: Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Responding to a 2022 Eurobarometer survey, 83 % of participants agreed that competition gives consumers more choice, and 82 % considered that it encourages innovation and economic growth. -1
- In the 2023 Eurobarometer on climate change 93 % of participants viewed climate change as a serious problem. In the same survey, 85 % of participants agreed that the EU should boost the manufacturing of clean energy and 79 % thought that EU measures s... -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Articles 101-109 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) form the basis for the EU's competition policy. -1
- EU environment policy is based on Articles 191 to 193 TFEU. Article 191 lists climate action as one of the objectives of EU environment policy. Article 11 TFEU also requires environmental protection to be taken account in other EU policies. -1
- Article 194 TFEU is the legal basis for EU energy policy. Legislation under this article usually follows the ordinary legislative procedure, which gives an equal role to the Council and the Parliament. An exception is made for measures 'primarily of a... -1
- Social and employment policies are underpinned by Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and Articles 9, 10, 19, 45-48 and 145-161 TFEU. -1
- Recent developments -1
- 02-EPRS-Briefing-762455-Hearings-2024-Virkkunen-EVP-Tech-sovereignty-rev-FINAL -1
- Henna Virkkunen is a Finnish politician and member of the National Coalition Party, which is affiliated with the European People's Party group in the European Parliament. She has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014, serving inter alia ... -1
- In Parliament, Virkkunen has worked on various technology and cybersecurity dossiers such as the Digital Services Act, the Cyber-Resilience Act and the Connecting Europe Facility. -1
- Before her election to the European Parliament, Virkkunen was a member of the Finnish Parliament (2007-2014) and was part of the Finnish government as minister for education and science, minister for public administration and local government, and tra... -1
- Born in 1972 in Joutsa, Finland, Virkkunen holds master's (2001) and bachelor's degrees (2000) from the University of Jyväskylä. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the Vice-President -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 03-EPRS-Briefing-762454-Hearings-2024-Sejourne-EVP-Prosperity-rev-FINAL -1
- Before being nominated as Commissioner-designate, Stéphane Séjourné had been serving as French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs since January 2024. In July 2024, he was elected to the French Parliament for the ninth constituency of Hauts-de-Sei... -1
- From 2019 to 2024, Séjourné was a Member of the European Parliament, and President of the Renew Europe group (2021-2024). Before that, he was a political adviser to the President of the French Republic from 2017 to 2019, and an adviser to the Minister... -1
- Séjourné was previously a member of the cabinet of the President of the Île-de-France Regional Council (2012-2014). Prior to that, he worked for a federation of grocery and specialised nutrition products from 2011 to 2012. -1
- Born in 1985, Séjourné graduated from the University of Poitiers with a double masters in law. He was also an Erasmus student at the University of Granada in international and EU law. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the vice-president -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 04-EPRS-Briefing-762452-Hearings-2024-Kallas-HRVP-Foreign-affairs-FINAL -1
- Kaja Kallas served as the prime minister of Estonia from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, she was awarded the Walther Rathenau Prize in recognition of outstanding lifetime achievement in foreign policy. -1
- Having joined the Estonian Reform Party in 2011, Kallas has been its leader since April 2018. From 2011 to 2014, she was a member of the Estonian Parliament (12th Riigikogu) and served as chair of its Economic Affairs Committee (2011). She was also a ... -1
- As a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2018, Kallas belonged to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE, now Renew Europe) political group. During this term, Kallas was Vice-Chair of Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Ukrai... -1
- Kallas was born in 1977 in Tallinn. She graduated from the University of Tartu in 1999 with a degree in law and pursued postgraduate studies at the Estonian Business School in 2007. Before entering politics, Kallas worked as an attorney at law. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Forging a common foreign and security policy -1
- Facing budgetary challenges -1
- Supporting Ukraine's security and reconstruction -1
- Strengthening the EU's security and defence -1
- Promoting peace in the Middle East and North Africa region -1
- Redefining EU-Russia relations and trade -1
- Maintaining the transatlantic community of values and interests -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 05-EPRS-Briefing-762449-Hearings-2024-Minzatu-EVP-People-Skills-FINAL -1
- Roxana Mînzatu became a Member of the European Parliament in July 2024. She belongs to the Social Democratic Party in Romania, which is affiliated with the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. -1
- Mînzatu served as secretary of state in Bucharest, first at the Ministry of European Investments and Projects, then at the government's General Secretariat, where she had been coordinator for the Department for the integrated evaluation and monitoring... -1
- Mînzatu was a member of the Romanian Parliament from 2016 to 2020 and served as secretary of state at the Ministry of European Funds, and later as minister for European funds. She was also the president of the National Agency for Public Procurement. M... -1
- Born in 1980, Mînzatu has a master's degree in European Integration from the Christian University Dimitrie Cantemir in Bucharest. Before entering politics, she gained professional experience in various roles, including within the Romanian Business Sch... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the Vice-President -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Parliament's priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 06-EPRS-Briefing-762453-Hearings-2024-Fitto-EVP-Cohesion-rev-FINAL -1
- Raffaele Fitto is an Italian politician, and has been minister for European affairs, Southern Italy, cohesion policy and the national recovery and resilience plan since 2022. -1
- A former Member of the European Parliament (from 1999-2000 and 2014-2022), Fitto was co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group from 2019 to 2022, and was thus a member of the Conference of Presidents. He served on the Committee... -1
- A long-serving Member of the Italian Parliament (Camera dei Deputati), Fitto's terms of office ran between 2006 and 2014 and from 2022 to the present day. Fitto was Italian minister for regional affairs from 2008 to 2010 and minister for territorial c... -1
- During his earlier career, Fitto was President of the Apulia region (2000-2005) and served repeatedly as Councillor for the Apulia region (1990-1994 and 2005-2006). Fitto was Regional Councillor for Tourism for Apulia from 1994 to 1995, and Vice-Presi... -1
- Born in 1969, Fitto holds a doctorate in law from the University of Bari (1994). -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priority issues for the vice-president -1
- Main projects -1
- Working with Commissioners -1
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Economy and Productivity -1
- Marta Kos: Enlargement -1
- Costas Kadis: Oceans and Fisheries -1
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Sustainable Transport and Tourism -1
- Christophe Hansen: Agriculture and Food -1
- European Parliament priorities -1
- Executive responsibilities -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Recent developments -1
- 07-EPRS-Briefing-762445-Hearings-2024-Sefcovic-Trade-FINAL -1
- Maroš Šefčovič has served as the European Commission's Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight since August 2023. This portfolio included overseeing the EU's relations with the United Kingdom, A... -1
- A long-serving member of the European Commission, from 2019 to 2023, Šefčovič was the Commission's Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. From 2014 to 2019, he was its Vice-President for Energy Union. From 2010 to 2014, he was ... -1
- Born in Bratislava in 1966, Šefčovič enrolled in the University of Economics in his home town in 1984, but from 1985 to 1990 pursued his studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 2000, he earned a PhD in international law at... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 08-EPRS-Briefing-762444-Hearings-2024-Dombrovskis-Economy-FINAL -1
- Valdis Dombrovskis is European Commission Executive Vice-President and currently holds an economic portfolio, which since 2020 also includes trade. After becoming Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue in 2016, in 2019 he was promo... -1
- In 2014, Dombrovskis was elected a Member of the European Parliament, sitting in the European Paople's Party (EPP) group, a post he had already held from 2004 to 2009. He was a member of the Committee on Budgets and a substitute member of the Economic... -1
- Dombrovskis served as Latvia's prime minister from 2009 to 2014. Prior to this, from 2002 to 2004, he served as the country's finance minister. -1
- Born in 1971 in Riga, Latvia, Dombrovskis earned a master's degree in physics from the University of Latvia. He later obtained a professional master's degree in customs and tax administration from Riga Technical University. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 09-EPRS-Briefing-762436-Hearings-2024-Suica-Mediterranean-rev-FINAL -1
- Dubravka Šuica has served as a Member of the European Commission and Vice-President for Demography and Democracy since 2019. She was also the co-chair of the Conference on the Future of Europe. From 2013 to 2019, Šuica was a Member of the European Par... -1
- As a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Šuica served three terms in the Croatian Parliament, from 2000 until 2011, also holding the position of vice-chair of the EU Integration Committee. -1
- From 2001 to 2009, Šuica served two terms as the first female mayor of Dubrovnik, her hometown. In 2006, she was honoured with the World Mayor Award. -1
- From 2004 to 2009, Šuica was a board member of the Union of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Croatia. She later served as a councillor on the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Assembly. She also served as the president of the Croatian Delegation ... -1
- Born in 1957, Šuica graduated in English and German language and literature. She started her career in education, first as a teacher and later as director of Dubrovnik High School. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Fostering a common EU policy -1
- A new pact for the Mediterranean -1
- Middle East strategy and the war in Gaza -1
- External dimension of migration policy -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 10-EPRS-Briefing-762441-Hearings-2024-Varhelyi-Health-FINAL -1
- Olivér Várhelyi, the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare, has worked on EU-related issues throughout his professional career. He has been serving as Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement since 2019. -1
- From 2015 to 2019 he held the dual roles of Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU, having served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary from 2011 to 2015. -1
- From 2008 to 2011, Várhelyi headed the Commission's Unit for Industrial Property Rights in the Directorate General for Internal Market and Services. -1
- Várhelyi was part of the team that negotiated Hungary's accession to the EU: initially, as Head of the Legal Unit at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Cabinet of the Deputy Head of the State Secretary for Integration of Hungary... -1
- Born in 1972, Várhelyi earned a master's degree in European legal studies from Aalborg University and he holds a law degree from the University of Szeged's Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- According to a 2024 Eurobarometer survey, public health is citizens' third priority area for EU action in the medium term. In a 2023 survey on mental health, some 77 % of respondents felt that mental health patients were judged differently than other ... -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- In accordance with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU has supporting competence in health (41TArticle 641T). Parliament and Council, as co-legislators, can adopt health legislation under 41TArticle 16841T (public health... -1
- Recent developments -1
- 11-EPRS-Briefing-762448-Hearings-2024-Hoekstra-Climate-FINAL -1
- Wopke Hoekstra has served as the Commissioner for Climate Action since October 2023. In this role, he represented the European Union at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2023. -1
- Starting in early 2024, Hoekstra, along with the Executive Vice-President in charge of the European Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič, has been communicating on behalf of the Commission regarding its 2040 climate target and managing climate risks. He has als... -1
- From 2011 to 2017, Hoekstra was a Member of the Dutch Senate representing Christian Democratic Appeal (the CDA), affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament. In October 2017, he became the minister of finance, a po... -1
- Born in 1975, Hoekstra studied law at Leiden University, from which he graduated in 2001. In 2005, he obtained an INSEAD MBA degree. Early in his career Hoekstra held commercial posts at Shell. In 2006, he joined global consulting company McKinsey, be... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Recent developments -1
- 12-EPRS-Briefing-762437-Hearings-2024-Kubilius-Defence-FINAL -1
- Andrius Kubilius has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019, where he sits in the European People's Party (EPP) group. He has served among other things as a member of the AFET and ITRE committees and of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (D... -1
- Prior to his time in the European Parliament, he served two terms as Lithuania's prime minister (from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012). -1
- From 2003 to 2015, Kubilius chaired the Homeland Union (Lithuanian Christian Democrats) party. -1
- From 1992 to 2019, he served as a member of the Republic of Lithuania's national parliament, the Seimas. When not in government, he had various periods when he held the position of leader of the opposition or first deputy speaker, and also had a spell... -1
- Andrius Kubilius was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1956. He received a degree in physics from Vilnius State University and completed postgraduate studies there too. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 13-EPRS-Briefing-762434-Hearings-2024-Kos-Enlargement-rev-FINAL -1
- Marta Kos is self-employed, working through Kos Consulting and Coaching (2021-present), and a senior advisor at the Brussels consulting firm Kreab. -1
- From 2017 to 2021, she was Slovenian Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and Ambassador to Germany and Latvia (2013-2017). -1
- As president of the Slovenian women's association ONA VE ('she knows'), Kos works to raise the profile of female experts. -1
- Kos has been engaged in Slovenia's political life as a vice-president of the social-liberal Freedom Movement party. Among the positions she held while employed by the government were director of the Public Relations and Media Office, and government sp... -1
- Between 2003 and 2013, Kos headed Gustav Käser Training International Slovenia, specialising in leadership and sales training. -1
- Until 2003, Kos was vice-president for international relations at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. -1
- Kos earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1989 and, in 2001, a master's degree in political science from the University of Ljubljana. -1
- Marta Kos, Slovenia -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Making the EU institutions enlargement-ready -1
- Budgetary challenges -1
- Support for Ukraine and reconstruction costs -1
- Security and defence -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 14-EPRS-Briefing-762439-Hearings-2024-Sikela-International-partnerships-rev2-FINAL -1
- Jozef Síkela (Mayors and Independents Party, STAN) affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP), has served as the Czech minister for industry and trade since December 2021. In this position, his focus has been on reducing his country's reliance on... -1
- Síkela has served in various banks, notably as the head of the Slovak Savings Bank and as board member of the Austrian Erste Group Bank. -1
- Born in 1967 in Rokycany, Czechia, Síkela studied foreign trade economics at the Prague University of Economics and Business. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- Priority partnerships -1
- Securing the EU's economic needs while ensuring mutual interest -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- Team Europe and the Global Gateway -1
- EU with Africa strategy and Samoa Agreement with ACP states -1
- Migration partnerships -1
- 15-EPRS-Briefing-762435-Hearings-2024-Kadis-Fisheries-FINAL -1
- Costas (Costantinos) Kadis is a scientist with a solid academic profile who has held ministerial portfolios in health, education and agriculture in various Cypriot governments. -1
- Kadis is professor of biodiversity conservation at Frederick University, where he also heads the Nature Conservation Unit and has been appointed as deputy president of the University Council. Between 2014 and 2023, Kadis served in two successive Cypri... -1
- Born in Nicosia in 1967, Kadis graduated and obtained a PhD in biology from the University of Athens. After several research-related positions in Greece and Cyprus, he joined Frederick University in Cyprus in 2005, where he was appointed associate pro... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 16-EPRS-Briefing-762430-Hearings-2024-Albuquerque-Financial-services-FINAL -1
- Maria Luís Albuquerque was independent non-executive director and a member of the Audit, Risk, and Nomination committees at Morgan Stanley, and a member of the Operating Team at Horizon Equity Partners. She was a member of the ISCTE University Institu... -1
- Prior to these roles, she was an independent non-executive director (chair of the Sustainability Committee) at the asset management firm Arrow Global Group (2016-2021), and a member of the High-level forum on the capital markets union, an expert group... -1
- In her political career, she has served as an elected member of the Municipal Assembly of Almada (2017-2021), a member of the Portuguese Parliament (2015-2019), minister of state and finance (2013-2015), and deputy minister for the treasury (2011-2013... -1
- Born in 1967, Maria-Luís Albuquerque holds a master's degree in financial and monetary economics from the Lisbon School of Financial and Monetary Economics (ISEG), and a degree in economics from the University of Lusíada. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 17-EPRS-Briefing-762440-Hearings-2024-Lahbib-Preparedness-rev-FINAL -1
- Hadja Lahbib a member of the Mouvement reformateur (MR) party, which sits with the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, has been serving as Belgian minister for foreign affairs, European affairs and foreign trade, and federal cultural instit... -1
- She was elected as a member of the Parliament of the Brussels Capital Region in 2024 but is currently on leave to fulfil her ministerial duties. -1
- Before joining the Belgian government, she co-led the Brussels bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2030. -1
- Born in Belgium in 1970 to a family of Algerian Kabyle origin, Lahbib obtained a master's degree in journalism and communication from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. She then worked as a journalist and presenter for Belgium's French-speaking public... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament (EP) competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 18-EPRS-Briefing-762429-Hearings-2024-Brunner-Internal-affairs-FINAL -1
- Magnus Brunner has been Austria's federal minister for finance since December 2021. Prior to this role, he served as a state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology from 2020 to... -1
- From 2018 to 2020, Brunner was vice-president of the Federal Council of Austria, after having served as a member of this institution from 2009 to 2020. Additionally, he served on the Municipal Council of the Höchst Municipality from 2000 to 2004. -1
- From 2009 to 2020 Brunner was a member of the Federal Council of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament. -1
- Brunner's earlier professional experience includes serving as the political director of the Austrian Economic Association (2002-2005), as well as holding the position of head of corporate development, communication and strategic development at the Aus... -1
- Born in 1972, Brunner is a graduate of King's College London (LLM), the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna (where he obtained a PhD in law). -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 19-EPRS-Briefing-762438-Hearings-2024-Roswall-Environment-FINAL -1
- Jessika Roswall is a politician from the Moderate Party in Sweden, affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP). -1
- Prior to her nomination for the post of Commissioner, Roswall was Sweden's minister for European affairs, from October 2022 to September 2024. -1
- Between 2010 and 2022, she served as a member of the Swedish Parliament, holding the position of second vice-president of its EU affairs committee from 2019 to 2022. -1
- Roswall was also a member of the 'transparency councils' of the Swedish Consumer Agency (2015-2018), the County Administrative Board of Uppsala (2016-2022), and the Authority for Work Environment Expertise (2018-2019). -1
- Born in 1972 in the county of Uppsala, Jessika Roswall holds a law degree from Uppsala University. After graduating in 2002, she worked as a lawyer for the law firm Wigert & Placht, from 2002 to 2010. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- In a May 2024 Eurobarometer 41Tsurvey41T, over 75 % of the EU citizens polled thought environmental issues had a direct impact on their daily lives, while 84 % agreed that EU environmental legislation was necessary to protect the environment in their ... -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 20-EPRS-Briefing-762451-Hearings-2024-Serafin-Budget-FINAL -1
- Piotr Serafin is currently acting Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU. -1
- From 2020 to 2023, he was Director of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. From 2014 to 2019, Serafin served as Head of Cabinet for the European Council President, Donald Tusk. -1
- From 2012 to 2014, Serafin held the position of secretary of state for European affairs at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously, from 2010 to 2012, he served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for the EU Commissioner for Financial Programming and... -1
- From 1999 to 2009, Serafin worked at the Polish Office of the Committee for European Integration, first as a specialist in EU budget and institutional issues, supporting the chief negotiators for Poland's accession to the EU, and then as coordinator a... -1
- Born in 1974 in Sulęcin, Poland, Serafin has a degree in economics from the Warsaw School of Economics and a degree in law from the University of Warsaw. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 21-EPRS-Briefing-762431-Hearings-2024-Jorgensen-Energy-FINAL -1
- Dan Jørgensen has most recently served as Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Minister for Global Climate Policy. His role has been to oversee Denmark's international development initiatives and global climate policies, including co-facili... -1
- Jørgensen is a member of the Social Democratic Party in Denmark, which is affiliated to the S&D group in the European Parliament. He has been a member of the Danish parliament since 2015 and previously served as Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fish... -1
- Jørgensen was a Member of the European Parliament (2004-2013), where he served as vice-chair of the Committee on Environment, president of the Animal Welfare Intergroup and head of the Danish delegation of Social Democrats (2009-2013). -1
- Born in 1975, Jørgensen holds a master's degree in political science from Aarhus University. His professional career also includes academic positions as adjunct professor and external lecturer. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- Housing -1
- 22-EPRS-Briefing-762442-Hearings-2024-Zaharieva-Research-FINAL -1
- Ekaterina Zaharieva is currently a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly, representing the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (EPP). -1
- Having served in several Bulgarian governments, Zaharieva held the dual position of deputy prime minister for judicial reform and minister of foreign affairs from 2017 to 2021. Earlier, she served as minister of justice from 2015 to 2017, as deputy pr... -1
- After earning a master's degree in law from Paisii Hilendarski University in Plovdiv, Zaharieva had followed a career as a lawyer, and then as a civil servant from 2017 to 2021. -1
- Zaharieva was born in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, in 1975. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- Horizon Europe -1
- European research area (ERA) -1
- 23-EPRS-Briefing-762432-Hearings-2024-McGrath-Justice-rev-FINAL -1
- Michael McGrath (born in 1976), is an Irish politician, a member of the Fianna Fáil party, which belongs to the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. He holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from University College Cork (1997). -1
- Most recently, he was minister for finance (2022-2024) and before that, minister for public expenditure and reform (2020-2022). -1
- McGrath has been a member of the lower house of the Irish Parliament (the Oireachtas) for the Cork South-Central constituency since 2007. -1
- Between 2011 and 2020 he was lead opposition spokesperson on finance on behalf of Fianna Fáil. Before joining the Irish Parliament, McGrath was an elected local government representative on Cork County Council (2004-2007) and Passage West Town Council... -1
- McGrath's professional experience includes being head of management information and systems at University College Cork (2003-2005), financial controller at RedFM (2001-2003), and a chartered accountant at KPMG (1997-2001), as well as a board member of... -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 24-EPRS-Briefing-762446-Hearings-2024-Tzitzikostas-Transport-FINAL -1
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas has been First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) since 2022. Having joined the CoR in 2015, he served as its President from 2020 to 2022. -1
- Governor of the Central Macedonia Region since 2014, Tzitzikostas has been president of the Association of Greek Regions since November 2019. -1
- From 2010 to 2014, Tzitzikostas served as the deputy regional governor for the Central Macedonia Region and head of the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area. -1
- From 2007 to 2009, Tzitzikostas was a member of the Greek Parliament with the Nea Demokratia Party (EPP). -1
- Born in 1978, Tzitzikostas graduated in government and international relations at Georgetown University, Washington DC, in 2000. He then earned a master's degree in European Public Policy and Economics from University College London. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- 25-EPRS-Briefing-762443-Hearings-2024-Hansen-Agriculture-FINAL -1
- Christophe Hansen was re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament in June 2024 where he sits in the EPP group and is currently a member of the Committees for International Trade, Employment and Social Affairs, and Transport and Tourism. -1
- In the previous parliamentary term, Hansen sat on the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Tax Matters. He also served as Quaestor for a year, before stepping down after being elected to the Luxembourg Parliament in October 2023. -1
- In 2014, Hansen joined the Luxembourg Permanent Representation to the EU, chaired the Council of the EU's Working Party on the Environment during the Luxembourg Presidency (July-December 2015), and served as an economic and commercial attaché at the L... -1
- From March 2017 to August 2018, Hansen represented Luxembourg in the European Economic and Social Committee. From 2007 to 2014, he had worked in the European Parliament as a political adviser to the centre-right MEP Astrid Lulling on agriculture, the ... -1
- Christophe Hansen was born in 1982 in Wiltz, Luxembourg. He earned a master's degree in geosciences, environmental sciences and risk management from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg in 2007. -1
- Christophe Hansen, Luxembourg. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Legal basis for the EU's and European Parliament's competence in the area of agriculture -1
- Recent developments -1
- 26-EPRS-Briefing-762447-Hearings-2024-Micallef-Intergenerational-fairness-FINAL -1
- From 2020 to June 2024, Glenn Micallef served as the head of the Secretariat of the Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, as well as his adviser on EU affairs, and as Malta's sherpa at the European Council. Additionally, from 2021 to 2024 he held the ... -1
- Prior to these roles, Micallef worked as a research analyst for the Maltese Ministry for EU Affairs, focusing on the Council of the EU's competitiveness configuration. He then headed the unit for external relations and preparations for the 2017 Maltes... -1
- Born in 1989, Micallef graduated from the University of Malta with a degree in commerce and economics. He also holds a master's degree in European politics, law and economics from the same university. -1
- Fundamentals of the portfolio -1
- Priorities and challenges -1
- Expectations/public opinion -1
- European Parliament -1
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence -1
- Recent developments -1
- EPRS-Briefing-762400-Confirmation-hearings-Commissioners-designate-2024-FINAL -1
- Summary -1
- The confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate before the European Parliament's committees play a vital role in informing Parliament before it decides on the proposed composition of the College of Commissioners. Ahead of the autumn 2024 hear... -1
- First, the Legal Affairs Committee scrutinises the declaration of interests of each Commissioner-designate. Second, each Commissioner-designate appears before the competent parliamentary committee or committees for a single confirmation hearing. -1
- In the past, the main criticism levelled at some of the Commissioners-designate has involved their having insufficient expertise in their respective portfolios, as well as the vagueness of their answers and their reluctance to make political commitmen... -1
- While some experts have advised against the excessive politicisation of the confirmation hearings, others have welcomed the increased accountability of the Commission to Parliament, and have praised the deepening of the political link between the two ... -1
- This is a further updated version of a September 2019 briefing by Maria Diaz Crego, itself an update of a 2014 briefing by Eva-Maria Poptcheva. -1
- Parliament's role in the appointment of Commissioners -1
- Ever-increasing influence -1
- The current situation -1
- Composition of the College: Number of Commissioners -1
- Criteria to be fulfilled by Commissioners-designate -1
- Nominating the Commissioners: Who does what -1
- The final steps of the procedure: Parliament's vote of consent -1
- Procedure for the confirmation hearings -1
- Examination of declarations of interests -1
- Organisation of the hearings: Committee responsible and allocation of time -1
- Evaluation of Commissioners-designate after the hearings -1
- Critical issues in past hearings -1
- Strengthening the Commission's democratic accountability -1
- EPRS_BRIE_762863_ECOS_EU_Political_priorities_2024-29_final -1
- The EU's priorities for the 5-year institutional cycle are outlined in the European Council's Strategic Agenda. Subsequently, the European Commission sets its priorities in the president's political guidelines, which are a first step in operationalisi... -1
- This briefing outlines the main policy priorities for the EU in the coming years, and analyses the differences in views of the European Council and the European Commission. With some exceptions, the European Council's and the Commission's policy prior... -1
- The comparison identifies the topics that are missing from one or the other document, points out where different approaches are being taken on specific policy issues and where particular concepts have changed since the last institutional cycle. The br... -1
- The EU's political priorities in two strategic documents -1
- Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 -1
- European Commission political guidelines -1
- Main political priorities -1
- Structure -1
- Table 1 – Main priorities in the Strategic Agenda and the political guidelines for 2024-2029 -1
- Comparison -1
- Changes to the priorities since the last institutional cycle -1
- Figure 1 – Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 -1
- Policy clusters -1
- General attention to policy clusters -1
- Specific policy differences -1
- Figure 2 – Attention paid to different policy clusters -1
- Explicit initiatives in the political guidelines -1
- Initiatives with a timeline -1
- Conclusion -1
- Table 2 – Specific policy initiatives in the political guidelines per policy cluster -1
- Blank Page 6
- Inside.pdf -1
- EPRS-AaG-762424-Hearings-Calendar-November-2024-final 7
- Briefings 9
- 01-EPRS-Briefing-762450-Hearings-2024-Ribera-Transition-FINAL 9
- Teresa Ribera Rodríguez has held senior posts in the Spanish government since 2018, most recently serving as third vice-president of the government and minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge (2021-2024), fourth vice-president of ... 9
- Since 2000, Ribera Rodríguez has been involved in the international climate negotiations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. From 2013 to 2014, she was advisor on energy and climate programme at the Institute for Sustainable... 9
- Member of the Spanish parliament, representing the Socialist party, since 2019, Ribera was state secretary for climate change and biodiversity in a previous government from 2008 to 2011. 9
- Born in 1969 in Madrid, Ribera Rodríguez holds a law degree from Madrid's Complutense University and a diploma in constitutional law and political science from the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies. 9
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 10
- Priority issues for the vice-president 10
- Main projects 11
- Working with Commissioners 12
- Stéphane Séjourné (Vice-President): Prosperity and Industrial Policy 12
- Wopke Hoekstra: Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth 12
- Dan Jørgensen: Energy and Housing 12
- Jessika Roswall: Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy 12
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Economy and Productivity 12
- Piotr Serafin: Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration 12
- Parliament's priorities 12
- Executive responsibilities 13
- Priorities and challenges 14
- Expectations/public opinion 14
- Responding to a 2022 Eurobarometer survey, 83 % of participants agreed that competition gives consumers more choice, and 82 % considered that it encourages innovation and economic growth. 14
- In the 2023 Eurobarometer on climate change 93 % of participants viewed climate change as a serious problem. In the same survey, 85 % of participants agreed that the EU should boost the manufacturing of clean energy and 79 % thought that EU measures s... 14
- European Parliament 15
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 15
- Articles 101-109 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) form the basis for the EU's competition policy. 15
- EU environment policy is based on Articles 191 to 193 TFEU. Article 191 lists climate action as one of the objectives of EU environment policy. Article 11 TFEU also requires environmental protection to be taken account in other EU policies. 15
- Article 194 TFEU is the legal basis for EU energy policy. Legislation under this article usually follows the ordinary legislative procedure, which gives an equal role to the Council and the Parliament. An exception is made for measures 'primarily of a... 15
- Social and employment policies are underpinned by Article 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and Articles 9, 10, 19, 45-48 and 145-161 TFEU. 15
- Recent developments 15
- 02-EPRS-Briefing-762455-Hearings-2024-Virkkunen-EVP-Tech-sovereignty-rev-FINAL 17
- Henna Virkkunen is a Finnish politician and member of the National Coalition Party, which is affiliated with the European People's Party group in the European Parliament. She has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014, serving inter alia ... 17
- In Parliament, Virkkunen has worked on various technology and cybersecurity dossiers such as the Digital Services Act, the Cyber-Resilience Act and the Connecting Europe Facility. 17
- Before her election to the European Parliament, Virkkunen was a member of the Finnish Parliament (2007-2014) and was part of the Finnish government as minister for education and science, minister for public administration and local government, and tra... 17
- Born in 1972 in Joutsa, Finland, Virkkunen holds master's (2001) and bachelor's degrees (2000) from the University of Jyväskylä. 17
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 18
- Priority issues for the Vice-President 18
- Main projects 19
- Working with Commissioners 19
- Parliament's priorities 20
- Executive responsibilities 21
- Priorities and challenges 21
- Expectations/public opinion 21
- European Parliament 22
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 22
- Recent developments 23
- 03-EPRS-Briefing-762454-Hearings-2024-Sejourne-EVP-Prosperity-rev-FINAL 25
- Before being nominated as Commissioner-designate, Stéphane Séjourné had been serving as French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs since January 2024. In July 2024, he was elected to the French Parliament for the ninth constituency of Hauts-de-Sei... 25
- From 2019 to 2024, Séjourné was a Member of the European Parliament, and President of the Renew Europe group (2021-2024). Before that, he was a political adviser to the President of the French Republic from 2017 to 2019, and an adviser to the Minister... 25
- Séjourné was previously a member of the cabinet of the President of the Île-de-France Regional Council (2012-2014). Prior to that, he worked for a federation of grocery and specialised nutrition products from 2011 to 2012. 25
- Born in 1985, Séjourné graduated from the University of Poitiers with a double masters in law. He was also an Erasmus student at the University of Granada in international and EU law. 25
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 26
- Priority issues for the vice-president 26
- Main projects 27
- Working with Commissioners 28
- Parliament's priorities 28
- Executive responsibilities 29
- Priorities and challenges 29
- European Parliament 30
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 30
- Recent developments 31
- 04-EPRS-Briefing-762452-Hearings-2024-Kallas-HRVP-Foreign-affairs-FINAL 33
- Kaja Kallas served as the prime minister of Estonia from 2021 to 2024. In 2024, she was awarded the Walther Rathenau Prize in recognition of outstanding lifetime achievement in foreign policy. 33
- Having joined the Estonian Reform Party in 2011, Kallas has been its leader since April 2018. From 2011 to 2014, she was a member of the Estonian Parliament (12th Riigikogu) and served as chair of its Economic Affairs Committee (2011). She was also a ... 33
- As a Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2018, Kallas belonged to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE, now Renew Europe) political group. During this term, Kallas was Vice-Chair of Parliament's Delegation to the EU-Ukrai... 33
- Kallas was born in 1977 in Tallinn. She graduated from the University of Tartu in 1999 with a degree in law and pursued postgraduate studies at the Estonian Business School in 2007. Before entering politics, Kallas worked as an attorney at law. 33
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 34
- Priorities and challenges 34
- Expectations/public opinion 34
- Forging a common foreign and security policy 35
- Facing budgetary challenges 35
- Supporting Ukraine's security and reconstruction 35
- Strengthening the EU's security and defence 36
- Promoting peace in the Middle East and North Africa region 36
- Redefining EU-Russia relations and trade 37
- Maintaining the transatlantic community of values and interests 37
- Working with Commissioners 37
- European Parliament 38
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 38
- Recent developments 39
- 05-EPRS-Briefing-762449-Hearings-2024-Minzatu-EVP-People-Skills-FINAL 41
- Roxana Mînzatu became a Member of the European Parliament in July 2024. She belongs to the Social Democratic Party in Romania, which is affiliated with the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. 41
- Mînzatu served as secretary of state in Bucharest, first at the Ministry of European Investments and Projects, then at the government's General Secretariat, where she had been coordinator for the Department for the integrated evaluation and monitoring... 41
- Mînzatu was a member of the Romanian Parliament from 2016 to 2020 and served as secretary of state at the Ministry of European Funds, and later as minister for European funds. She was also the president of the National Agency for Public Procurement. M... 41
- Born in 1980, Mînzatu has a master's degree in European Integration from the Christian University Dimitrie Cantemir in Bucharest. Before entering politics, she gained professional experience in various roles, including within the Romanian Business Sch... 41
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 42
- Priority issues for the Vice-President 42
- Main projects 43
- Working with Commissioners 43
- Parliament's priorities 44
- Executive responsibilities 44
- Priorities and challenges 45
- Expectations/public opinion 45
- European Parliament 46
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 46
- Recent developments 47
- 06-EPRS-Briefing-762453-Hearings-2024-Fitto-EVP-Cohesion-rev-FINAL 49
- Raffaele Fitto is an Italian politician, and has been minister for European affairs, Southern Italy, cohesion policy and the national recovery and resilience plan since 2022. 49
- A former Member of the European Parliament (from 1999-2000 and 2014-2022), Fitto was co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group from 2019 to 2022, and was thus a member of the Conference of Presidents. He served on the Committee... 49
- A long-serving Member of the Italian Parliament (Camera dei Deputati), Fitto's terms of office ran between 2006 and 2014 and from 2022 to the present day. Fitto was Italian minister for regional affairs from 2008 to 2010 and minister for territorial c... 49
- During his earlier career, Fitto was President of the Apulia region (2000-2005) and served repeatedly as Councillor for the Apulia region (1990-1994 and 2005-2006). Fitto was Regional Councillor for Tourism for Apulia from 1994 to 1995, and Vice-Presi... 49
- Born in 1969, Fitto holds a doctorate in law from the University of Bari (1994). 49
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 50
- Priority issues for the vice-president 50
- Main projects 50
- Working with Commissioners 51
- Valdis Dombrovskis: Economy and Productivity 51
- Marta Kos: Enlargement 51
- Costas Kadis: Oceans and Fisheries 51
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Sustainable Transport and Tourism 51
- Christophe Hansen: Agriculture and Food 51
- European Parliament priorities 52
- Executive responsibilities 53
- Priorities and challenges 53
- Expectations/public opinion 53
- Recent developments 55
- 07-EPRS-Briefing-762445-Hearings-2024-Sefcovic-Trade-FINAL 57
- Maroš Šefčovič has served as the European Commission's Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight since August 2023. This portfolio included overseeing the EU's relations with the United Kingdom, A... 57
- A long-serving member of the European Commission, from 2019 to 2023, Šefčovič was the Commission's Vice-President for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight. From 2014 to 2019, he was its Vice-President for Energy Union. From 2010 to 2014, he was ... 57
- Born in Bratislava in 1966, Šefčovič enrolled in the University of Economics in his home town in 1984, but from 1985 to 1990 pursued his studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. In 2000, he earned a PhD in international law at... 57
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 58
- Priorities and challenges 58
- European Parliament 59
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 59
- Recent developments 59
- 08-EPRS-Briefing-762444-Hearings-2024-Dombrovskis-Economy-FINAL 61
- Valdis Dombrovskis is European Commission Executive Vice-President and currently holds an economic portfolio, which since 2020 also includes trade. After becoming Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue in 2016, in 2019 he was promo... 61
- In 2014, Dombrovskis was elected a Member of the European Parliament, sitting in the European Paople's Party (EPP) group, a post he had already held from 2004 to 2009. He was a member of the Committee on Budgets and a substitute member of the Economic... 61
- Dombrovskis served as Latvia's prime minister from 2009 to 2014. Prior to this, from 2002 to 2004, he served as the country's finance minister. 61
- Born in 1971 in Riga, Latvia, Dombrovskis earned a master's degree in physics from the University of Latvia. He later obtained a professional master's degree in customs and tax administration from Riga Technical University. 61
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 62
- Priorities and challenges 62
- Expectations/public opinion 62
- European Parliament 63
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 63
- Recent developments 64
- 09-EPRS-Briefing-762436-Hearings-2024-Suica-Mediterranean-rev-FINAL 65
- Dubravka Šuica has served as a Member of the European Commission and Vice-President for Demography and Democracy since 2019. She was also the co-chair of the Conference on the Future of Europe. From 2013 to 2019, Šuica was a Member of the European Par... 65
- As a member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Šuica served three terms in the Croatian Parliament, from 2000 until 2011, also holding the position of vice-chair of the EU Integration Committee. 65
- From 2001 to 2009, Šuica served two terms as the first female mayor of Dubrovnik, her hometown. In 2006, she was honoured with the World Mayor Award. 65
- From 2004 to 2009, Šuica was a board member of the Union of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Croatia. She later served as a councillor on the Dubrovnik-Neretva County Assembly. She also served as the president of the Croatian Delegation ... 65
- Born in 1957, Šuica graduated in English and German language and literature. She started her career in education, first as a teacher and later as director of Dubrovnik High School. 65
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 66
- Priorities and challenges 66
- Expectations/public opinion 66
- Fostering a common EU policy 67
- A new pact for the Mediterranean 67
- Middle East strategy and the war in Gaza 67
- External dimension of migration policy 67
- European Parliament 67
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 67
- Recent developments 68
- 10-EPRS-Briefing-762441-Hearings-2024-Varhelyi-Health-FINAL 69
- Olivér Várhelyi, the Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare, has worked on EU-related issues throughout his professional career. He has been serving as Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement since 2019. 69
- From 2015 to 2019 he held the dual roles of Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU, having served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary from 2011 to 2015. 69
- From 2008 to 2011, Várhelyi headed the Commission's Unit for Industrial Property Rights in the Directorate General for Internal Market and Services. 69
- Várhelyi was part of the team that negotiated Hungary's accession to the EU: initially, as Head of the Legal Unit at the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Cabinet of the Deputy Head of the State Secretary for Integration of Hungary... 69
- Born in 1972, Várhelyi earned a master's degree in European legal studies from Aalborg University and he holds a law degree from the University of Szeged's Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. 69
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 70
- Priorities and challenges 70
- Expectations/public opinion 70
- According to a 2024 Eurobarometer survey, public health is citizens' third priority area for EU action in the medium term. In a 2023 survey on mental health, some 77 % of respondents felt that mental health patients were judged differently than other ... 70
- European Parliament 71
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 71
- In accordance with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the EU has supporting competence in health (41TArticle 641T). Parliament and Council, as co-legislators, can adopt health legislation under 41TArticle 16841T (public health... 71
- Recent developments 71
- 11-EPRS-Briefing-762448-Hearings-2024-Hoekstra-Climate-FINAL 73
- Wopke Hoekstra has served as the Commissioner for Climate Action since October 2023. In this role, he represented the European Union at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2023. 73
- Starting in early 2024, Hoekstra, along with the Executive Vice-President in charge of the European Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič, has been communicating on behalf of the Commission regarding its 2040 climate target and managing climate risks. He has als... 73
- From 2011 to 2017, Hoekstra was a Member of the Dutch Senate representing Christian Democratic Appeal (the CDA), affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament. In October 2017, he became the minister of finance, a po... 73
- Born in 1975, Hoekstra studied law at Leiden University, from which he graduated in 2001. In 2005, he obtained an INSEAD MBA degree. Early in his career Hoekstra held commercial posts at Shell. In 2006, he joined global consulting company McKinsey, be... 73
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 74
- Priorities and challenges 74
- European Parliament 75
- Recent developments 76
- 12-EPRS-Briefing-762437-Hearings-2024-Kubilius-Defence-FINAL 77
- Andrius Kubilius has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2019, where he sits in the European People's Party (EPP) group. He has served among other things as a member of the AFET and ITRE committees and of the Subcommittee on Human Rights (D... 77
- Prior to his time in the European Parliament, he served two terms as Lithuania's prime minister (from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012). 77
- From 2003 to 2015, Kubilius chaired the Homeland Union (Lithuanian Christian Democrats) party. 77
- From 1992 to 2019, he served as a member of the Republic of Lithuania's national parliament, the Seimas. When not in government, he had various periods when he held the position of leader of the opposition or first deputy speaker, and also had a spell... 77
- Andrius Kubilius was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, in 1956. He received a degree in physics from Vilnius State University and completed postgraduate studies there too. 77
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 78
- Priorities and challenges 78
- European Parliament 79
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 79
- Recent developments 79
- 13-EPRS-Briefing-762434-Hearings-2024-Kos-Enlargement-rev-FINAL 81
- Marta Kos is self-employed, working through Kos Consulting and Coaching (2021-present), and a senior advisor at the Brussels consulting firm Kreab. 81
- From 2017 to 2021, she was Slovenian Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and Ambassador to Germany and Latvia (2013-2017). 81
- As president of the Slovenian women's association ONA VE ('she knows'), Kos works to raise the profile of female experts. 81
- Kos has been engaged in Slovenia's political life as a vice-president of the social-liberal Freedom Movement party. Among the positions she held while employed by the government were director of the Public Relations and Media Office, and government sp... 81
- Between 2003 and 2013, Kos headed Gustav Käser Training International Slovenia, specialising in leadership and sales training. 81
- Until 2003, Kos was vice-president for international relations at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 81
- Kos earned a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1989 and, in 2001, a master's degree in political science from the University of Ljubljana. 81
- Marta Kos, Slovenia 81
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 82
- Priorities and challenges 82
- Expectations/public opinion 82
- Making the EU institutions enlargement-ready 82
- Budgetary challenges 83
- Support for Ukraine and reconstruction costs 83
- Security and defence 83
- European Parliament 83
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 83
- Recent developments 84
- 14-EPRS-Briefing-762439-Hearings-2024-Sikela-International-partnerships-rev2-FINAL 85
- Jozef Síkela (Mayors and Independents Party, STAN) affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP), has served as the Czech minister for industry and trade since December 2021. In this position, his focus has been on reducing his country's reliance on... 85
- Síkela has served in various banks, notably as the head of the Slovak Savings Bank and as board member of the Austrian Erste Group Bank. 85
- Born in 1967 in Rokycany, Czechia, Síkela studied foreign trade economics at the Prague University of Economics and Business. 85
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 86
- Priorities and challenges 86
- Expectations/public opinion 86
- Priority partnerships 86
- Securing the EU's economic needs while ensuring mutual interest 86
- European Parliament 87
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 87
- Recent developments 87
- Team Europe and the Global Gateway 87
- EU with Africa strategy and Samoa Agreement with ACP states 88
- Migration partnerships 88
- 15-EPRS-Briefing-762435-Hearings-2024-Kadis-Fisheries-FINAL 89
- Costas (Costantinos) Kadis is a scientist with a solid academic profile who has held ministerial portfolios in health, education and agriculture in various Cypriot governments. 89
- Kadis is professor of biodiversity conservation at Frederick University, where he also heads the Nature Conservation Unit and has been appointed as deputy president of the University Council. Between 2014 and 2023, Kadis served in two successive Cypri... 89
- Born in Nicosia in 1967, Kadis graduated and obtained a PhD in biology from the University of Athens. After several research-related positions in Greece and Cyprus, he joined Frederick University in Cyprus in 2005, where he was appointed associate pro... 89
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 90
- Priorities and challenges 90
- European Parliament 91
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 91
- Recent developments 92
- 16-EPRS-Briefing-762430-Hearings-2024-Albuquerque-Financial-services-FINAL 93
- Maria Luís Albuquerque was independent non-executive director and a member of the Audit, Risk, and Nomination committees at Morgan Stanley, and a member of the Operating Team at Horizon Equity Partners. She was a member of the ISCTE University Institu... 93
- Prior to these roles, she was an independent non-executive director (chair of the Sustainability Committee) at the asset management firm Arrow Global Group (2016-2021), and a member of the High-level forum on the capital markets union, an expert group... 93
- In her political career, she has served as an elected member of the Municipal Assembly of Almada (2017-2021), a member of the Portuguese Parliament (2015-2019), minister of state and finance (2013-2015), and deputy minister for the treasury (2011-2013... 93
- Born in 1967, Maria-Luís Albuquerque holds a master's degree in financial and monetary economics from the Lisbon School of Financial and Monetary Economics (ISEG), and a degree in economics from the University of Lusíada. 93
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 94
- Priorities and challenges 94
- Expectations/public opinion 94
- European Parliament 95
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 95
- Recent developments 95
- 17-EPRS-Briefing-762440-Hearings-2024-Lahbib-Preparedness-rev-FINAL 97
- Hadja Lahbib a member of the Mouvement reformateur (MR) party, which sits with the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament, has been serving as Belgian minister for foreign affairs, European affairs and foreign trade, and federal cultural instit... 97
- She was elected as a member of the Parliament of the Brussels Capital Region in 2024 but is currently on leave to fulfil her ministerial duties. 97
- Before joining the Belgian government, she co-led the Brussels bid for the title of European Capital of Culture 2030. 97
- Born in Belgium in 1970 to a family of Algerian Kabyle origin, Lahbib obtained a master's degree in journalism and communication from the Université Libre de Bruxelles. She then worked as a journalist and presenter for Belgium's French-speaking public... 97
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 98
- Priorities and challenges 98
- Expectations/public opinion 98
- European Parliament 99
- Treaty basis and European Parliament (EP) competence 99
- Recent developments 100
- 18-EPRS-Briefing-762429-Hearings-2024-Brunner-Internal-affairs-FINAL 101
- Magnus Brunner has been Austria's federal minister for finance since December 2021. Prior to this role, he served as a state secretary in the Federal Ministry of Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology from 2020 to... 101
- From 2018 to 2020, Brunner was vice-president of the Federal Council of Austria, after having served as a member of this institution from 2009 to 2020. Additionally, he served on the Municipal Council of the Höchst Municipality from 2000 to 2004. 101
- From 2009 to 2020 Brunner was a member of the Federal Council of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament. 101
- Brunner's earlier professional experience includes serving as the political director of the Austrian Economic Association (2002-2005), as well as holding the position of head of corporate development, communication and strategic development at the Aus... 101
- Born in 1972, Brunner is a graduate of King's College London (LLM), the University of Innsbruck and the University of Vienna (where he obtained a PhD in law). 101
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 102
- Priorities and challenges 102
- Expectations/public opinion 102
- European Parliament 103
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 103
- Recent developments 104
- 19-EPRS-Briefing-762438-Hearings-2024-Roswall-Environment-FINAL 105
- Jessika Roswall is a politician from the Moderate Party in Sweden, affiliated to the European People's Party (EPP). 105
- Prior to her nomination for the post of Commissioner, Roswall was Sweden's minister for European affairs, from October 2022 to September 2024. 105
- Between 2010 and 2022, she served as a member of the Swedish Parliament, holding the position of second vice-president of its EU affairs committee from 2019 to 2022. 105
- Roswall was also a member of the 'transparency councils' of the Swedish Consumer Agency (2015-2018), the County Administrative Board of Uppsala (2016-2022), and the Authority for Work Environment Expertise (2018-2019). 105
- Born in 1972 in the county of Uppsala, Jessika Roswall holds a law degree from Uppsala University. After graduating in 2002, she worked as a lawyer for the law firm Wigert & Placht, from 2002 to 2010. 105
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 106
- Priorities and challenges 106
- Expectations/public opinion 106
- In a May 2024 Eurobarometer 41Tsurvey41T, over 75 % of the EU citizens polled thought environmental issues had a direct impact on their daily lives, while 84 % agreed that EU environmental legislation was necessary to protect the environment in their ... 106
- European Parliament 107
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 107
- Recent developments 108
- 20-EPRS-Briefing-762451-Hearings-2024-Serafin-Budget-FINAL 109
- Piotr Serafin is currently acting Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU. 109
- From 2020 to 2023, he was Director of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy in the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. From 2014 to 2019, Serafin served as Head of Cabinet for the European Council President, Donald Tusk. 109
- From 2012 to 2014, Serafin held the position of secretary of state for European affairs at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously, from 2010 to 2012, he served as Deputy Head of Cabinet for the EU Commissioner for Financial Programming and... 109
- From 1999 to 2009, Serafin worked at the Polish Office of the Committee for European Integration, first as a specialist in EU budget and institutional issues, supporting the chief negotiators for Poland's accession to the EU, and then as coordinator a... 109
- Born in 1974 in Sulęcin, Poland, Serafin has a degree in economics from the Warsaw School of Economics and a degree in law from the University of Warsaw. 109
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 110
- Priorities and challenges 110
- European Parliament 111
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 111
- Recent developments 111
- 21-EPRS-Briefing-762431-Hearings-2024-Jorgensen-Energy-FINAL 113
- Dan Jørgensen has most recently served as Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Minister for Global Climate Policy. His role has been to oversee Denmark's international development initiatives and global climate policies, including co-facili... 113
- Jørgensen is a member of the Social Democratic Party in Denmark, which is affiliated to the S&D group in the European Parliament. He has been a member of the Danish parliament since 2015 and previously served as Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fish... 113
- Jørgensen was a Member of the European Parliament (2004-2013), where he served as vice-chair of the Committee on Environment, president of the Animal Welfare Intergroup and head of the Danish delegation of Social Democrats (2009-2013). 113
- Born in 1975, Jørgensen holds a master's degree in political science from Aarhus University. His professional career also includes academic positions as adjunct professor and external lecturer. 113
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 114
- Priorities and challenges 114
- Expectations/public opinion 114
- European Parliament 115
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 115
- Recent developments 115
- Housing 116
- 22-EPRS-Briefing-762442-Hearings-2024-Zaharieva-Research-FINAL 117
- Ekaterina Zaharieva is currently a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly, representing the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (EPP). 117
- Having served in several Bulgarian governments, Zaharieva held the dual position of deputy prime minister for judicial reform and minister of foreign affairs from 2017 to 2021. Earlier, she served as minister of justice from 2015 to 2017, as deputy pr... 117
- After earning a master's degree in law from Paisii Hilendarski University in Plovdiv, Zaharieva had followed a career as a lawyer, and then as a civil servant from 2017 to 2021. 117
- Zaharieva was born in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, in 1975. 117
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 118
- Priorities and challenges 118
- Expectations/public opinion 118
- European Parliament 119
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 119
- Recent developments 119
- Horizon Europe 119
- European research area (ERA) 120
- 23-EPRS-Briefing-762432-Hearings-2024-McGrath-Justice-rev-FINAL 121
- Michael McGrath (born in 1976), is an Irish politician, a member of the Fianna Fáil party, which belongs to the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. He holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from University College Cork (1997). 121
- Most recently, he was minister for finance (2022-2024) and before that, minister for public expenditure and reform (2020-2022). 121
- McGrath has been a member of the lower house of the Irish Parliament (the Oireachtas) for the Cork South-Central constituency since 2007. 121
- Between 2011 and 2020 he was lead opposition spokesperson on finance on behalf of Fianna Fáil. Before joining the Irish Parliament, McGrath was an elected local government representative on Cork County Council (2004-2007) and Passage West Town Council... 121
- McGrath's professional experience includes being head of management information and systems at University College Cork (2003-2005), financial controller at RedFM (2001-2003), and a chartered accountant at KPMG (1997-2001), as well as a board member of... 121
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 122
- Priorities and challenges 122
- Expectations/public opinion 122
- European Parliament 123
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 123
- Recent developments 124
- 24-EPRS-Briefing-762446-Hearings-2024-Tzitzikostas-Transport-FINAL 125
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas has been First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) since 2022. Having joined the CoR in 2015, he served as its President from 2020 to 2022. 125
- Governor of the Central Macedonia Region since 2014, Tzitzikostas has been president of the Association of Greek Regions since November 2019. 125
- From 2010 to 2014, Tzitzikostas served as the deputy regional governor for the Central Macedonia Region and head of the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Area. 125
- From 2007 to 2009, Tzitzikostas was a member of the Greek Parliament with the Nea Demokratia Party (EPP). 125
- Born in 1978, Tzitzikostas graduated in government and international relations at Georgetown University, Washington DC, in 2000. He then earned a master's degree in European Public Policy and Economics from University College London. 125
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 126
- Priorities and challenges 126
- Expectations/public opinion 126
- European Parliament 127
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 127
- Recent developments 127
- 25-EPRS-Briefing-762443-Hearings-2024-Hansen-Agriculture-FINAL 129
- Christophe Hansen was re-elected as a Member of the European Parliament in June 2024 where he sits in the EPP group and is currently a member of the Committees for International Trade, Employment and Social Affairs, and Transport and Tourism. 129
- In the previous parliamentary term, Hansen sat on the Committee on International Trade and the Subcommittee on Tax Matters. He also served as Quaestor for a year, before stepping down after being elected to the Luxembourg Parliament in October 2023. 129
- In 2014, Hansen joined the Luxembourg Permanent Representation to the EU, chaired the Council of the EU's Working Party on the Environment during the Luxembourg Presidency (July-December 2015), and served as an economic and commercial attaché at the L... 129
- From March 2017 to August 2018, Hansen represented Luxembourg in the European Economic and Social Committee. From 2007 to 2014, he had worked in the European Parliament as a political adviser to the centre-right MEP Astrid Lulling on agriculture, the ... 129
- Christophe Hansen was born in 1982 in Wiltz, Luxembourg. He earned a master's degree in geosciences, environmental sciences and risk management from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg in 2007. 129
- Christophe Hansen, Luxembourg. 129
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 130
- Priorities and challenges 130
- Public opinion 130
- European Parliament 131
- Legal basis for the EU's and European Parliament's competence in the area of agriculture 131
- Recent developments 132
- 26-EPRS-Briefing-762447-Hearings-2024-Micallef-Intergenerational-fairness-FINAL 133
- From 2020 to June 2024, Glenn Micallef served as the head of the Secretariat of the Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, as well as his adviser on EU affairs, and as Malta's sherpa at the European Council. Additionally, from 2021 to 2024 he held the ... 133
- Prior to these roles, Micallef worked as a research analyst for the Maltese Ministry for EU Affairs, focusing on the Council of the EU's competitiveness configuration. He then headed the unit for external relations and preparations for the 2017 Maltes... 133
- Born in 1989, Micallef graduated from the University of Malta with a degree in commerce and economics. He also holds a master's degree in European politics, law and economics from the same university. 133
- Fundamentals of the portfolio 134
- Priorities and challenges 134
- Expectations/public opinion 134
- European Parliament 135
- Treaty basis and European Parliament competence 135
- Recent developments 136
- EPRS-Briefing-762400-Confirmation-hearings-Commissioners-designate-2024-FINAL 137
- Summary 137
- The confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate before the European Parliament's committees play a vital role in informing Parliament before it decides on the proposed composition of the College of Commissioners. Ahead of the autumn 2024 hear... 137
- First, the Legal Affairs Committee scrutinises the declaration of interests of each Commissioner-designate. Second, each Commissioner-designate appears before the competent parliamentary committee or committees for a single confirmation hearing. 137
- In the past, the main criticism levelled at some of the Commissioners-designate has involved their having insufficient expertise in their respective portfolios, as well as the vagueness of their answers and their reluctance to make political commitmen... 137
- While some experts have advised against the excessive politicisation of the confirmation hearings, others have welcomed the increased accountability of the Commission to Parliament, and have praised the deepening of the political link between the two ... 137
- This is a further updated version of a September 2019 briefing by Maria Diaz Crego, itself an update of a 2014 briefing by Eva-Maria Poptcheva. 137
- Parliament's role in the appointment of Commissioners 138
- Ever-increasing influence 138
- The current situation 139
- Composition of the College: Number of Commissioners 139
- Criteria to be fulfilled by Commissioners-designate 139
- Nominating the Commissioners: Who does what 139
- The final steps of the procedure: Parliament's vote of consent 140
- Procedure for the confirmation hearings 141
- Examination of declarations of interests 141
- Organisation of the hearings: Committee responsible and allocation of time 142
- Evaluation of Commissioners-designate after the hearings 143
- Critical issues in past hearings 144
- Strengthening the Commission's democratic accountability 145
- EPRS_BRIE_762863_ECOS_EU_Political_priorities_2024-29_final 147
- The EU's priorities for the 5-year institutional cycle are outlined in the European Council's Strategic Agenda. Subsequently, the European Commission sets its priorities in the president's political guidelines, which are a first step in operationalisi... 147
- This briefing outlines the main policy priorities for the EU in the coming years, and analyses the differences in views of the European Council and the European Commission. With some exceptions, the European Council's and the Commission's policy prior... 147
- The comparison identifies the topics that are missing from one or the other document, points out where different approaches are being taken on specific policy issues and where particular concepts have changed since the last institutional cycle. The br... 147
- The EU's political priorities in two strategic documents 147
- Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 148
- European Commission political guidelines 148
- Main political priorities 148
- Structure 148
- Table 1 – Main priorities in the Strategic Agenda and the political guidelines for 2024-2029 149
- Comparison 149
- Changes to the priorities since the last institutional cycle 150
- Figure 1 – Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 148
- Policy clusters 151
- General attention to policy clusters 151
- Specific policy differences 152
- Figure 2 – Attention paid to different policy clusters 152
- Explicit initiatives in the political guidelines 153
- Initiatives with a timeline 153
- Conclusion 153
- Table 2 – Specific policy initiatives in the political guidelines per policy cluster 153
- Blank Page 155
