The European Parliament gave formal approval Wednesday to the new team and programme of EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, with her College of Commissioners expected to take office on 1 December.
This will be Ms von der Leyen’s second term as Commission president, following MEP’s approval of her first Commission in November 2019.
Ahead of the vote, Ursula von der Leyen presented her team and programme, confirming portfolio changes requested by MEPs in the course of Parliament’s evaluation process.
The proposed College of Commissioners was assessed by MEPs in public hearings between 4 and 12 November, where candidates submitted themselves to committee hearings to assess their suitability and their ability to carry out the duties linked to the portfolios to which they had been assigned.
“We are ready to get to work immediately,” said Ms von der Leyen, with her Commission always devoted to “fighting for freedom, sovereignty, security and prosperity”.
The new Commission’s first initiative will be a competitiveness compass, she announced, to close Europe’s innovation gap with the US and China, to increase security and independence and to deliver on decarbonisation.
She would “stay the course on its goals”, she added, committing to presenting a clean industrial deal, launch a strategic dialogue on the future of Europe’s car industry, continue working on a competitive circular economy, and work towards a European savings and investment union.
Regarding the ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and parts of Africa, Ms von der Leyen advocated a stronger role for Europe in these areas. Strengthening our security is crucial, she said, calling on Europe to spend more on defence. “Europe’s security will always be this Commission’s priority,” she added.
In the subsequent debate, some MEPs stressed the need for the new Commission to begin addressing the challenges Europe is facing quickly. They called on the Commission to improve European competitiveness in the light of intensifying global competition, to implement the European Green Deal, to ensure energy independence, and to build a defence union in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
