MEPs to discuss next European Commission
Next week’s plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg focuses on the track record of the current Commission and the formation of the next one.
The European Parliament’s plenary session next week (20-23 October) was supposed to be about the incoming European Commission of president-designate Jean-Claude Juncker. But the plan to have the college of commissioners confirmed on Wednesday (22 October) will not be confirmed by the conference of presidents (the political group leaders) until today (16 October).
Violeta Bulc, selected on Friday (10 October) by Miro Cerar, Slovenia’s prime minister, as the replacement for Alenka Bratušek, who withdrew after a disastrous hearing, is expected to have her confirmation hearing in Strasbourg on Monday evening (20 October), as will Maroš Šefcˇovicˇ after being promoted to vice-president for energy union.
Juncker is scheduled to present his college line-up and the Commission’s work programme to MEPs in a set-piece debate on Wednesday morning. This, too, is subject to change.
On Tuesday afternoon, MEPs are to hold a debate with José Manuel Barroso, the current president of the Commission, about the achievements of his second administration.
The plenary will also discuss preparations for the European Council, the regular summit of national leaders, which is to take place in Brussels on 23-24 October.
Annual accounts
On Tuesday morning (21 October), the plenary is set to hold its annual debate on the accounts of the various EU institutions and bodies, with a vote scheduled for midday Wednesday.
The budgetary control committee has recommended rejection of the accounts of the European Council and of the Council of Ministers, as it has in years past, over the Council’s refusal to declare its spending.
However, the committee is now satisfied with clarifications received from the Office of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications after it withheld approval in April.
Another Tuesday debate is about the Parliament’s position on the annual budget for 2015, with MEPs fighting back against attempts by the member states to cut the Commission’s proposal.
Once the Parliament’s position has been formally established, with a vote on Wednesday, the Commission, the MEPs and the member states will have three weeks, starting on 28 October, to strike a compromise deal.
On Wednesday afternoon, the plenary is scheduled to discuss whether the priorities for 2014 of the European semester for economic policy co-ordination have been implemented.
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