Schulz demands response from Juncker on environment and health portfolios

The president of the European Parliament has demanded a “satisfactory response” from Juncker before the commissioner hearings begin on Monday.

Martin Schulz, the President of the European Parliament, has intervened in the simmering row between MEPs and Jean-Claude Juncker, the President-elect of the Commission, over the impact on sustainability, environment and health from the re-allocation of portfolios and the associated restructuring of Commission departments.

Schulz wrote to Juncker today (26 September) seeking a response to the concerns expressed – and within a very tight deadline, which he explicitly linked to the approval of the new Commission.

Schulz says he has received “an urgent letter” from the environment, public health and food safety committee “asking me to convey to you their concerns regarding the portfolios falling under the ENVI committee’s competences and the mission letters of the Commissioners-designate”. He spells out their concerns about the absence of sustainable development from the responsibilities of Jyrki Katainen, who has been nominated vice-president for jobs and growth, and asks that “in light of your commitment to ‘green growth'” in Juncker’s speech to the Parliament in July, the title and portfolio should be modified to remedy the deficiency.

Schulz’s letter continues to report the committee’s worries that the portfolio of Karmenu Vella, the Commissioner-designate for environment, makes no reference to the Environment Action Programme that came into force at the beginning of 2014, and similarly seeks an assurance that changes will be made accordingly.

“Last but not least”,  Schulz concludes, the committee “believes that a coherent approach in public health policy would ensure the highest level of health protection”. It is asking, continues to Schulz, “to keep responsibility for health technology, cosmetics, medicinal products and the European Medicines Agency in DG SANCO”.

“I would greatly appreciate a response to these concerns before the start of the hearings” on Monday, Schulz says. His letter opens with a reminder that “in the coming weeks, the European Parliament will exercise its most fundamental right…, namely the appointment of members of the college of commissioners”.

Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, a Dutch liberal MEP on the environment committee, said that MEPs may consider rejecting the nomination of Vella to be environment and fisheries minister if they do not receive a satisfactory response from Juncker before Vella’s hearing on Monday. However sources within the EPP said the centre-right is not willing to hold nominees for ransom for structural changes.

The Green group also sent a letter to Juncker today on the same subject. It calls for Juncker to go back to the drawing board on his vice-presidents’ portfolios. They want one vice-president dedicated specifically to sustainability or sustainable development. Currently none of the vice-presidents has environment or sustainability in their remit. Alenka Bratušek, the nominee to become vice-president for energy union, will have the commissioner for climate action and energy within her ‘project team’ of seven commissioners.

The letter from the Greens also asks Juncker to reverse his proposal to combine the energy and climate portfolios, which are currently held by two separate commissioners but would be merged into one area under Spanish nominee Miguel Arias Cañete.