The future College of Commissioners must be united to make the EU competitive, according to the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. On Tuesday 17 September, the Commission presented the names and portfolios of the European Commissioners it is proposing for approval by the European Parliament (see EUROPE 13484/1). The common thread running through the future Commission must be competitiveness, guided in large part by the conclusions of Mario Draghi’s report on the subject (see other news).
This ambition is effectively reflected in the portfolios of at least eight Commissioners: from Industrial Strategy to Innovation, Simplification and Capital Markets Union.
“We have dissipated the former rigid stovepipes. This is one of the main recommendations of the Draghi report”, said Ms von der Leyen.
The Commission’s potential Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné will be responsible for overseeing work on the Industrial Strategy, the Internal Market, Industry and SMEs.
According to his mission statement, he will have 100 days from the start of the future Commission’s mandate to develop the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’ announced by Ms von der Leyen in July (see EUROPE 13457/8). As part of this, he will be responsible for outlining the future ‘European Competitiveness Fund’ in conjunction with the Executive Vice-President, Teresa Ribera, who will be in charge of the Clean and Competitive Transition.
Stéphane Séjourné will also have to present an act to accelerate industrial decarbonisation, develop new Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs), revise the directive on public procurement and lead the work to introduce a new category of SME: small midcaps.
To see his mission letter: https://aeur.eu/f/dge
The President keeps a tight rein on simplification. Mr Séjourné’s portfolio will be complemented by that of Valdis Dombrovskis, who will inherit the Economy and Productivity portfolio, as well as the Implementation and Simplification portfolio. In the latter role, Mr Dombrovskis, the former Executive Vice-President, will report to the President herself.
The Latvian’s remit will focus on the need to “ensure that existing rules are fit-for-purpose and focus on reducing administrative burdens and simplifying legislation”. The President is asking him to contribute to the long-standing objective of reducing reporting obligations by at least 25% by making proposals along these lines. This reduction target should be at least 35% for SMEs, the President added.
In addition, he will have to implement reality checks to identify obstacles on the ground for businesses when it comes to applying European rules.
Valdis Dombrovskis is also expected to develop a new competitiveness coordination tool to “translate EU-wide competitiveness objectives into coordinated national policies”.
To see the mission statement for Valdis Dombrovskis: https://aeur.eu/f/dgf
Trade and economic security. Another former Vice-President of the European Commission, Maroš Šefčovič (NI), is set to get a key competitiveness portfolio: Trade and Economic Security, in addition to Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency. While free trade must guide the Commission’s work, Ursula von der Leyen asserts that the next Commission will adopt “a more assertive stance on defending ourselves from unfair competition or security risks which affect Europe”.
On this more politically sensitive subject, the guidelines given by Ms von der Leyen are less detailed than in the previous ones. She asks Maroš Šefčovič to implement the economic security strategy presented in January (see EUROPE 13335/1) with the texts it contains.
The Commissioner will also have to develop economic security standards for critical supply chains, in conjunction with G7 partners.
As far as continuing trade is concerned, Mr Šefčovič’s line on free trade agreements remains the same as in recent years: he must work to conclude ongoing negotiations, “notably with countries in Latin America and the Indo-Pacific”, and explore the possibilities of opening other bilateral negotiations with emerging economies. The President of the Commission no longer explicitly mentions countries or regions under negotiation with the EU, such as Mercosur.
As for China, the approach remains the same: limit the risks rather than cut the bridges.
In addition to trade, Ursula von der Leyen announced that Mr Šefčovič would also be responsible for customs.
To see Maroš Šefčovič’s mission statement: https://aeur.eu/f/dgg (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)