Brussels, 30/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Greens/EFA at the European Parliament want to put the big political parties, particularly the EPP and S&D, “in the hot seat”, for their agreeing a “non-aggression pact” on their more vulnerable commissioner-candidates, said the joint leaders of the group, Philippe Lamberts and Rebecca Harms, on Tuesday morning 30 September. Although the hearings began on Monday 29 September and the group had announced that it would vote against the appointment of Cecilia Malmström from Sweden to the trade portfolio (see other article), the Greens/EFA would also like the EPP and S&D Groups to be put under some pressure to explain publicly why they are likely to accept such controversial candidates as the EPP's Miguel Arias Canete from Spain, suspected of conflicts of interest and close ties with the oil industry, and Tibor Navracsics from Hungary, who is being put forward for the education, culture and European citizenship portfolio. Under the pact, which has been denied on a number of occasions by Gianni Pittella from Italy, the leader of the S&D Group, Social Democrats could turn a blind eye to certain CVs, so that their own candidates are not rejected. Pierre Moscovici from France has been nominated for the powerful economic and financial affairs portfolio and could become a prize target in this affair. Other candidates are not to the liking of the Greens/EFA either, such as British Conservative, Jonathan Hill, who belongs to the ECR. (SP)