The European Parliament has laid out a tentative schedule for when MEPs will quiz Ursula von der Leyens picks for the next College of Commissioners, according to a draft timetable obtained by POLITICO.
The plan would see six days of hearings beginning Monday, September 30, and culminating in the three nominated executive vice presidents — Margrethe Vestager, Frans Timmermans and Valdis Dombrovskis — facing Parliament on the final day of Tuesday, October 8.
The first day of committee hearings will cover trade chief pick Phil Hogan, Maroš Šefčovič — the nominee to be vice president for interinstitutional relations and foresight — and Innovation and Youth Commissioner-designate Mariya Gabriel.
Six nominees will be questioned on the following day, October 1, including von der Leyens choice for agriculture commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, before the agriculture committee.
On Wednesday, October 2, six more designates will go before committees, including Frances Sylvie Goulard, who is set to lead the internal market portfolio. MEPs from both the internal market and industry committees will lead her questioning.
On October 3, the economy committee — with input from MEPs from the budget, employment and the trade committees — will grill former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, the nominee for the economy portfolio. Their colleagues from the culture and justice and home affairs committees will question Margaritis Schinas, the Greek nominee for the controversial “Protecting our European Way of Life” portfolio. Other hearings on October 3 include Kadri Simson, the Estonian nominee for the energy portfolio, who will be quizzed by the industry and energy committee with input from the eRead More – Source
