In early August, the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced his intention of giving Sir Julian King, the candidate to be the next UK commissioner, a new portfolio with responsibility for the Security Union.
If appointed, the future commissioner will support the realisation of the European security programme adopted by the Commission in spring 2015, an initiative which was the subject of an implementation report at the end of April (see EUROPE 11536). He will be supported by a task force made up of experts from the Commission’s Directorates General for Home Affairs, Mobility and Transport, Communication Networks and Energy. As the new portfolio will be in addition to the existing ones, the responsibilities of the other commissioners will remain unchanged, the Commission stresses.
The new British commissioner has to be formally appointed by the Council of the EU in agreement with Juncker and further to the consultation of the European Parliament (Article 246 of the Treaty). Once the Council has officially begun its consultations of the European Parliament, King will become commissioner designate. This will entitle him to the support of the relevant services of the Commission to prepare for his hearing before the competent committee of the European Parliament, early in the autumn.
However, King will not be able to take part in meetings of the college of commissioners until he has been appointed by the Council. Although the referendum of 23 June was a victory for those wishing the UK to leave the EU (see EUROPE 11580), the country remains a full member of the European Union until it has finalised a withdrawal agreement with the EU27. This means that a British commissioner is still entitled to take a seat the European Commission. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)