Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar confirmed on Tuesday 9 July his intention to appoint the current Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan, for a second term in the College of the European Commission.
“Phil is widely respected in Brussels and across the EU as a skilled negotiator and someone who builds alliances. He has also been a very important voice on Brexit, ensuring that his colleagues in the Commission have a keen understanding of the potential negative impact that the UK’s exit will have on Ireland and other Member States”, the Taoiseach said in a statement. He cited the financial support provided to Irish farmers.
Mr Hogan would be particularly interested in the Trade Portfolio, while the recent EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement is causing controversy in Ireland (see EUROPE 12291/14).
On Tuesday, the Commission confirmed that the Estonian and Romanian governments had officially announced that two Commissioners had been posted – Estonian Kadri Simson and Romanian Ioan Mircea Pașcu – to replace Ms Creţu and Mr Ansip, who had left for the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12288/6), for the end of the Juncker Commission's mandate.
In accordance with the Treaty (Article 246), President Juncker will have to interview the two candidates “in the coming days” to verify their skills, a spokesperson for the European institution said.
If the assessment is favourable, Mr Juncker, who would have preferred that these positions not be replaced, will have to allocate a portfolio to them. The two Commissioner-designates will then have to be heard by the relevant parliamentary committee of the European Parliament, perhaps by the end of July. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)