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Šefčovič and Hoekstra will take over the agenda from Commissioners Valean and Sinkevičius

by AI | 15.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The European Commission announced on Monday that Romanian Commissioner Adina Valean and Lithuanian Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius decided to resign from the College of Commissioners as of July 15 to take up seats in the European Parliament to which they were elected in the June European elections.

Maroš Šefčovič during a speech at the conference on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Slovakia's accession to the European Union on May 2, 2024 in Bratislava. PHOTO TASR - Martin Baumann

BRUSSELS – The Executive Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Maroš Šefčovič will expand his work agenda in the EU executive for a few weeks. This will happen after the Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean and the Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius resigned from their positions to take up their mandates as Members of the European Parliament (EP). This was reported by TASR correspondent.

The inaugural session of the new European Parliament takes place this week in Strasbourg from July 16 to 19. In this context, EC President Ursula von der Leyen decided that Executive Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who is responsible for implementing the European Green Deal and oversees strategic foresight and interinstitutional relations, will temporarily take over matters related to the environment, oceans, and fisheries from Sinkevičius. Commissioner for Environment Wopke Hoekstra will temporarily be responsible for the transport and mobility agenda following Commissioner Valean. Their agendas should only be handled temporarily, until Romania and Lithuania appoint replacements for the departing members of the European Commission, which could take several weeks.

The new commissioners must subsequently be approved by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who on Thursday (18.07.) will find out if she has enough votes from EP members to secure a second mandate at the helm of the European Commission. They must then also get the approval of the relevant working committees of the European Parliament.