Brussels, 17/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - Is Karmenu Vella, from Malta, the Commissioner-designate for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in the Junker Commission, the right man for the job? MEPs from the environment and fisheries committees will attempt to find out in a joint hearing for him on Monday afternoon 29 September. It will mainly involve assessing the expertise and competence of this politician, former businessman and social democrat, who was recently minister for tourism in his country, in order to assess whether he is up to the job with its dual functions.
Environmentalists are afraid that this merger will lead to environmental policy gradually disappearing by submitting it to the imperatives of competitiveness and growth, compounded by dumping fisheries into the environment sphere. A lot of ink has already been spilt describing NGOs' fears in this respect and the latter have been keen to underline them in their calls for the European Parliament to improve matters in this field (see EUROPE 11156, 11153 and 11152). MEPs from the Greens/EFA are also concerned about the merger of the fisheries and environment portfolios and warned that this must not lead to a watering down of the EU's commitments in each of these equally important areas. Alain Cadec (EPP, France), the president of the EP's fisheries committee warned that fisheries obviously has an essential environmental dimension but it is extremely dangerous to just consider it in this perspective. It is also an important economic activity in coastal areas.
These are the questions Vella will obviously have to do deal with in his capacity as Commissioner-designate and his task of carrying out an ambitious environmental, marine affairs and fisheries policy, given the controversial choice of this merger and the major importance given to the “better regulation” objective in the Junker Commission. As will also be the case for all the other members of the Junker Commission, all the new initiatives made by the future Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries will be screened by the First Vice President responsible for improving better regulation.
In short, judging by the mission statement addressed to him by Juncker, it will be necessary to establish whether Vella is able to fulfil the mandate of minister for green and blue growth. If he is confirmed in his post, the Commissioner-designate will have to:
- developing a “green growth” approach to environmental policy, in order to promote a sustainable environmental framework featuring innovations which industry can implement and export successfully. The same goes for blue growth; - assessing the existing legislative framework to bring it into line with its objective, starting with an “in-depth evaluation of the Birds and Habitats directives to assess the potential for merging them into a more modern piece of legislation”. In the view of the group of ten major environmental NGOs, this “political speak is used by people seeking to water down the level of nature protection in the EU. And it is worrying that the environment portfolio has been given to a Commissioner whose government has come in for international criticism over its failure in its obligation to implement EU legislation on the protection of birds”;
- taking stock of negotiations on the air strategy, to ensure that it addresses the right sources of air pollution with the right instruments, and then determine how best to conduct the negotiations;
- assessing the state of play of the Circular Economy package in the light of the first reactions of the European Parliament and Council to see whether and how it is consistent with the jobs and growth agenda and the broader environmental objectives;
- implementing the recently agreed reform of the Common Fisheries Policy to put the EU firmly on the path of a sustainable fishing sector and fishing communities, engaging in shaping international ocean governance in the UN and other multilateral fora.
The fact that he is both a politician and former businessmen could make Karmenu Vella the best person not to lose sight of industrial and competitiveness imperatives. However, some people are questioning the decision to entrust this position to a politician who has been a member of parliament since 1976, “which has not prevented him from playing various roles and industry at the same time, including within the gaming industry”, observes CEO (Coporate Europe Observatory), which argues that “these external interests should disqualify him from a post as Commissioner” (our translation throughout). (AN)