EU Commissioners-designates' Hearings, Debate + Vote by EU Parliament: Will EU Citizens have a say ?

"EuroFora" believes that the  Hearings, Debates and Votes organized by EU Parliament on New EU Commissioners-designates throughout all January 2010 should provide an opportunity also for EU Citizens to interact with their elected MEPs and/or to engage in  public Debates freely expressing their views on the main issues, while being duly informed, in order to boost Public Scrutiny and reinforce the Democratic character of EU's decision-making proces, while also contributing to make EU Institutions more popular, helping to bridge the infamous "gap" vis a vis the People.

For this purpose, EU Citizens could f.ex. have a fair chance, previously, to contact their MEPs at least for the preparation of the questions they will raise to EU Commissioners-designates, and/or in view of their Evaluation, final Debate and Vote, in order to timely and usefully exchange views. If it's not done now, it should be done in the Future, (starting to apply also the relevant EU Lisbon Treaty rules : fex. Art. 8 B).

 

For the moment, as things stand, EU Citizens can watch the Hearings on Video at :

http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/ebs/schedule.cfm

http://europa.eu/press_room/index_en.htm

http://europarltv.europa.eu/

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/hearings/default.htm?language=en

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europarl-internet/frd/vod/research-committee-and-other?byLeftMenu=researchotherevents&isSearchOtherEvents=true&language=en
 

Previous Hearings, before the entry into force of Lisbon Treaty, (whose Article 8 B asks for EU Citizens to participate in Public Debates on EU activities  : See relevant replies to "EuroFora"s questions by EU Commission, EU Parliament and Spanish EU chairmanship at :   ) , can be reviewed at  : http://www.europarl.europa.eu/hearings/commission/default_en.htm

Thus, EU Citizens can compare and judge if there is any real change, and how important it is, or could and should be.

 The very "tight"  Time - SCHEDULE of the Hearings starts on Monday afternoon with Foreign Affairs (Ashton) and Development (Piebalgs),  in parallel with Budget (Lewandowski),  Economic and Monetary affairs (Rehn).

- It is followed, since Tuesday Morning, by Trade (De Gucht) and Taxation, Customs and anti-Fraud (Semeta).  

Enlargement and Neighbourhoud policy (Füle), as well as International Cooperation, Crisis' responses and Humanitarian affairs (Jeleva), are on the Afternoon, in parallel with Human Rights and Citizenship (Reding), as well as Competition policy (Almunia).

- On Wednesday Afternoon, Environment (Potocnik) and Research, Innovation and Science (Geoghegan - Quinn), come in parallel with Employment and Social affairs (Andor), as well as Internal Market and Services (Barnier).

- On Thursday Morning, Energy (Oettinger) and Transports (Kallas). Followed, in the Afternoon, by Health and Consumer policy (Dalli), Education, Culture, Multilinguism and Youth (Vassiliou), as well as Digital Agenda (Kroes) and Regional policy (Hahn).

- Friday Morning, the Brussels' week concludes with Agriculture (Ciolos) and Climate (Hedegaard).

- Next week in Strasbourg,  on the sidelines  of  the Plenary Session, EU Parliament starts on Monday evening  with Industry and Entrepreneurship (Taviani), as well as Istitutional affairs and Administration (Sefcovic).

- It continues on Tuesday Morning with Home affairs (Malmstrom), in parallel with Maritime affairs and Fisheries (Damanaki).

 

The President of EU Commission (Barroso) was voted by EU Parliament before the entry into force of the new EU "Lisbon" Treaty, as early as since mid-September in Strasbourg, but the official anouncement of the EU Commissioners-designate and their portofolios came only 2,5 Months later, (after the completion of "Lisbon" Treaty's Ratification), at the end of November.
Once EU "Lisbon" Treaty entered into force, December 2009 was used for a formal, written procedure, during which EU Parliament send a Questionaire to each Commissioner-designate, who replied also by writing.

It's only on January 2010 that start direct, oral Questions - Answers and Debates between MEPs and EU Commissioners-designates. They will be evaluated by each EU Parliament's Committee, as well as by the Chairmen of the Political Groups, until the final, General Debate and Vote, which is due before the end of the Month (Jan. 29), so that the new EU Commission might be able to begin working, with EU Council's approval, from February 2010.

In strictly Legal terms, EU Parliament can only vote for, or against, the entire EU Commission's team. But, in practice, it has been established that MEPs might refuse 1 or 2 Commissioners only, who should then be replaced by new Candidates, able to agree on the main Political issues with the Majority in EU Parliament which was voted by EU Citizens as it emerged from June 2009 EU Elections.

 It's through this process that EU Citizens hope to make their democratically expressed choices respected.

* Here is a LIST of Commissioners-designate according to their areas of competence :  


- Commission President : José Manuel Barroso (EPP), Portugal

- EU foreign policy chief (Vice-President) : Catherine Ashton (PES), United Kingdom


- Industry and Entrepreneurship (Vice-President) : Antonio Tajani (EPP), Italy  

- Transport (Vice-President) : Siim Kallas (ELDR), Estonia

- Competition (Vice-President) : Joaquín Almunia (PES), Spain


- Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship (Vice-President) : Viviane Reding (EPP), Luxembourg

- Institutional Affairs and Administration (Vice-President) : Maros Sefcovic (PES), Slovakia

- Digital Agenda (Vice-President) : Neelie Kroes (ELDR), The Netherlands


- Budget : Janusz Lewandowski (EPP), Poland

- Internal Market and Services : Michel Barnier (EPP), France

- Economic and Monetary Affairs : Oli Rehn (ELDR), Finland

- Trade : Karel De Gucht (ELDR), Belgium

- Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud : Algirdas Šemeta (EPP), Lithuania  


- Energy : Günther Oettinger (EPP), Germany

- Agriculture : Dacian Ciolos (EPP), Romania

- Maritime Affairs and Fisheries : Maria Damanaki (PES), Greece

- Regional policy : Johannes Hahn (EPP), Austria


- Research, Innovation and Science : Maire Geoghegan Quinn (ELDR), Ireland

- Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth : Androulla Vassiliou (ELDR), Cyprus

- Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion : László Andor (PES), Hungary

- Home Affairs : Cecilia Malmström (ELDR), Sweden

- Health and Consumer Policy : John Dalli (EPP), Malta


- Environment : Janez Potocnik (ELDR), Slovenia

- Climate Action : Connie Hedegaard (EPP), Denmark


- Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy : Stefan Fuele (PES), Czech Republic

- International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response : Rumiana Jeleva (EPP), Bulgaria

- Development : Andris Piebalgs (EPP), Latvia