Candidates for the important thing roles of European commissioner for vitality and the surroundings confronted questioning from MEPs on Tuesday night. Danish candidate Dan Jørgensen managed to safe the vitality portfolio, however the destiny of the Swedish candidate to implement the European Green Deal hangs within the stability.
Danish Social Democrat Dan Jørgensen is on monitor to develop into commissioner for vitality and (an EU first) for housing, however the destiny of Swedish conservative Jessika Roswall hangs within the stability after political teams postponed a call after a lackluster efficiency in his affirmation listening to as surroundings commissioner designate on Tuesday evening.
Jørgensen walked by his three-hour listening to with ease, warding off questions on his recognized aversion to nuclear vitality and promising extra bold renewable vitality objectives.
“Nuclear is and can proceed to be an integral a part of the European vitality combine. And sure, it’s a part of the answer to decarbonise the European vitality system,” Jørgensen mentioned in his opening speech. Liberal MEP Christophe Grudler (France/Renew) pressed him on the potential for EU monetary help for typical nuclear vitality. “No, I can not promise that, as you clearly know,” Jørgensen mentioned.
On small modular reactors, touted as a shortly deployed, localized supply of unpolluted vitality, he mentioned he would comply with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s mission letter and help the objective of first deployment within the 2030s. “Whether that’s possible or not might be too early to say, however that’s the ambition,” he mentioned. He additionally warned in opposition to the chance of dependence on Russia for nuclear gasoline.
Power and independence
Jørgensen promised an motion plan for electrification and a method to speed up Europe’s breakup of Russian vitality provides, significantly the remaining 18% of gasoline imports – each throughout his first 100 days in workplace. “Unfortunately I can’t have interaction in your query about whether or not or not we could be impartial of Russian fuels subsequent yr,” he informed Green MEP Michael Bloss, who wished to deliver ahead the present deadline of the tip of 2027 by two years. “I want I might do this “, Jørgensen informed him.
He additionally pledged to work on decreasing vitality costs, highlighting the function that renewable vitality can play, and with residential development additionally a part of the brand new commissioner’s portfolio, he promised a “first European reasonably priced housing plan”. reasonably priced costs of its variety” supported by the European Investment Bank.
After the listening to, Jørgensen was endorsed by the EPP, S&D, the right-wing ECR teams and the Renew liberals, in addition to by the small left-wing group, which was divided – comfortably gathering the required two-thirds majority with out the sizeable nationalists and much proper. contingent.
No U-turn on the Green Deal
Roswall opened his three-hour listening to, which ran till nearly 10pm, by affirming his dedication to implementing key environmental laws adopted underneath von der Leyen’s first presidency, specifically the controversial Nature Restoration Act (NRL ) and an anti-deforestation regulation (EUDR).
The centre-right EPP household from which the previous Swedish Minister for European Affairs comes narrowly failed to dam the NRL and extra not too long ago managed to push for a one-year delay within the implementation of the EUDR, so this represents one thing of a brand new path for the previous Swedish minister. minister.
“I’ll construct on all the great laws we’ve constructed collectively within the final mandate to realize concrete outcomes,” Roswall informed MEPs. “We want to remain the course on the Green Deal.”
“I’m totally dedicated to implementation and doing my job in relation to imposing laws,” she informed former surroundings committee chair Pascal Canfin (France/Renew), who was visibly skeptical.
PFAS ban… sooner or later
On one other high-profile environmental subject, a proposed restriction on PFAS “ceaselessly chemical substances,” Roswall mentioned she was dedicated to banning them from shopper items solely, however was imprecise in regards to the timing when pressed. “The actual timeframe by which it will happen is tough to say, however I’ll get this course of began as quickly as attainable,” he mentioned.
An extended-awaited proposal to revise REACH, the EU’s basic regulation on chemical substances, shall be introduced in 2025, he mentioned.
Roswall additionally underlined his dedication to selling the EU’s round financial system objectives and creating a water resilience technique within the face of intensifying local weather disruption, each components of the brand new portfolio created by von der Leyen.
But in a much less assured efficiency than the vitality commissioner, he usually gave inventory solutions and repeatedly referred to “well-designed nature credit” as a way to make conservation pay for itself, echoing the thought of a market-based strategy to ecosystem safety. and the restoration not too long ago proposed by von der Leyen.
ANNOUNCEMENTVerdict postponed
Although Roswall urged MEPs to belief her when she mentioned she would abandon nationwide and political loyalties if appointed commissioner, she has clearly managed to persuade her personal political household of her suitability for the job.
“I believe it is extremely vital to have an EPP surroundings commissioner,” the group’s environmental coverage coordinator Peter Liese mentioned after the listening to, saying it could “change the spirit within the Commission”.
“He will work with farmers, with trade, in contrast to the previous Environment Commissioner and, specifically, Vice President Timmermans,” he mentioned, referring to Virginijus Sinkevičius, now Green MEP for Lithuania, and former Dutch director of Greens. Deal.
By distinction, Green MEP Jutta Paulus took to social media to complain that she had acquired “no concrete response” after asking Roswall to make clear its plans to implement the UN Global Biodiversity Framework signed in 2022 and the Nature Restoration Act.
ANNOUNCEMENTThe left was even much less impressed. “Incredibly dangerous,” was the decision of compatriot Jonas Sjöstedt of the socialist Vänsterpartiet. “We demand that the Swedish authorities sends a brand new candidate.”
In the tip, solely the EPP and the ECR group, considerably to the proper of her, expressed their willingness to vote for her in a closed-door assembly after the listening to. The determination on Parliament’s subsequent transfer was postponed till 2.30pm on Wednesday (6 November). Roswell could also be authorised or requested to reply in writing to extra questions.
Or it could possibly be rejected outright, which might power the Swedish authorities to place ahead one other candidate and, by delaying the European Parliament’s ultimate vote on the brand new Commission as a complete, might sprint any hopes of putting in a brand new EU govt in December.
