MEETINGS WITH COMMISSIONER NOMINEES PRIOR TO THEIR APPEARANCES BEFORE THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

In his capacity as Chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Home Affairs and Justice, Javier Zarzalejos has held a series of meetings with the Commissioners-designate ahead of their appearances before the relevant parliamentary committees that are due to confirm their appointments.

– Michael McGrath (Ireland) nominated as future Justice and Rule of Law Commissioner

McGrath will be responsible for consolidating the Rule of Law Report that the European Commission has been presenting annually for the past five years. He will also be responsible for ensuring that respect for the rule of law is a sine qua non for receiving European funds.

It will also be responsible for leading the fight against corruption, developing a new strategy on the use of digital technologies and ensuring that Europeans’ personal data is protected in the context of the digital transformation we are witnessing.

– Hadja Lahbib (Belgium) nominated as the future Commissioner for Crisis Management, Humanitarian Aid and Equality

In a world where crises are happening all the time, Ms Lahbib will be responsible for implementing an EU crisis prevention strategy based on the Niistö report. The aim is to promote a culture of prevention and resilience among EU citizens, to make society alert. If the current Belgian foreign minister is finally elected to the post after her appearance before the European Parliament, she will be in charge of managing all EU responses to the various crises that beset us, from humanitarian crises to natural disasters, and she will also be in charge of the EU’s response to the crisis.

– Ekaterina Zaharieva (Bulgaria) has been elected as the first EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation.

Zaharieva will have the difficult task of preparing the EU to be competitive and innovative in the context of the new digital economy. Her remit will include proposing a European Research Area Act to ensure the ‘fifth freedom’, i.e. the freedom of movement of researchers and scientists. It will also launch a European Innovation Act to facilitate access to venture capital for start-ups and growth companies.