An Irish Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has stated that the next European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development will be selected from the European People’s Party (EPP), should Ursula von der Leyen retain her position as the president of the European Commission.
Ireland South MEPÂ Sean Kelly said that during an EPP meeting today (Tuesday, July 9) that von der Leyen, if elected as president, said she “will appoint an agriculture commissioner from EPP”.
Janusz Wojciechowski is the current agriculture commissioner, who took over the role in 2019 from Phil Hogan of Fine Gael.
Kelly also confirmed that von der Leyen said today that “micromanagement of CAP [Common Agricultural Policy] schemes must end as part of measures to reduce red-tape by 25% at least.”
The selection of the new European Commission will take place following the first plenary session of the new legislative term from July 16 to 19 in Strasbourg.
At the first plenary, the European Parliament will elect its new president, vice-presidents and quaestors as well as decide on the number of MEPs who will be sitting in each parliamentary committee.
MEPs will vote to elect a new president of the European Commission. Then they will assess candidates for commissioners through public hearings. The new European Commission will need to secure European Parliament approval in a plenary vote to take office.
Once elected, the President of the European Commission selects Commissioners-designate based on nominations from each EU country and assigns different policy portfolios to them. There is one commissioner from each EU country.
The Commission is composed of the College of Commissioners from 27 EU countries. Together, the 27 members of the college are the Commission’s political leadership during a five-year term.
The European Parliament invites Commissioners-designate to public hearings to establish if they are suitable for the posts they are seeking to secure.
Following the conclusion of the hearings, the European Parliament holds a plenary debate where the European Commission President presents the full team of commissioners and its political priorities.
The President-elect of the Commission presents the whole team of Commissioners-designate and their programme at a sitting of Parliament. The presentation is followed by a debate.
Parliament votes on whether to give its consent to the appointment, as a body, of the President-elect and Commissioners-designate. The decision is taken by a majority of the votes cast.