Following the announcement of the European Commissioners-designate portfolios on Tuesday 17 September in Strasbourg (see EUROPE 13484/1), four figures are expected to play a key role in the forthcoming discussions on the ambitions of the European Green Deal. While the Green Deal was the guiding principle for the newly re-elected President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, when she was first elected in 2019, European competitiveness and strategic autonomy will be the top priorities at the start of her new term of office.
In order to meet this commitment, Ms von der Leyen has re-organised the portfolios linked to the Green Deal, leading some critics to express concern that climate action will be “unfocused”.
“Good coordination and cooperation are essential”, Ms von der Leyen has declared.
Teresa Ribera. Spain’s Teresa Ribera, Minister for Ecological Transition during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2023, who has long been tipped for a leading role, has been given the post of Vice-President, responsible for coordinating the ‘Clean, Just and Competitive Transition’.
As such, there is no longer a single Commissioner ‘responsible for the European Green Deal’. Ms von der Leyen presented the brand new portfolio as a commitment to “decarbonising and industrialising our economy at the same time”.
Among other things, Ms Ribera will have to prepare the new post-2030 architecture to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, work on lowering energy prices, as advocated in the ‘Draghi’ report on European competitiveness (see EUROPE 13484/7), and encourage a shift away from fossil fuels.
More significantly, Ms Ribera has also been tasked with guiding the work to ensure that taxation measures support the transition.
Some pro-nuclear countries feared, because of her past positions, that she would oppose the expansion of nuclear energy.
Recently, however, she gave assurances that she would ensure that decisions concerning the energy mix of each Member State would be respected.
At any rate, this is the line taken by the European Commission, which advocates ‘technological neutrality’ and has, in particular, tasked Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner-designate for Energy and Housing, with promoting the development of the new generation of small modular reactors (advanced nuclear reactors).
To see Teresa Ribera’s mission statement, go to https://aeur.eu/f/dh6
Dan Jørgensen. Dan Jørgensen (S&D), a Danish former MEP and vice-chairman of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, will be tasked with completing “a robust energy union”, updating the Union’s network infrastructure and bringing down energy prices.
In particular, he is expected to put in place an action plan for affordable energy prices, and another for mass electrification within the EU.
Mr Jørgensen also becomes the first ever Commissioner for Housing – a role that had not necessarily been anticipated, according to several European sources.
To see Dan Jørgensen’s mission statement, go to https://aeur.eu/f/dh5
Wopke Hoekstra. After almost a year spent heading the European Union’s climate action, Wopke Hoekstra (EPP), of the Netherlands, has been reappointed to an expanded portfolio entitled ‘Climate, Carbon Neutrality and Clean Growth’.
His mission statement includes implementing the EU’s policies to achieve its climate objectives, in particular the 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a target he presented in February (see EUROPE 13344/1).
In addition to his climate-related duties, Mr Hoekstra will be in charge of fiscal responsibilities, with the task of aligning economic policy with environmental priorities.
This appointment follows his entry into the Commission in October 2023, after the resignation of Frans Timmermans (see EUROPE 13236/1). His appointment was controversial at the time, not least because he had worked for the consultancy McKinsey and the oil and gas multinational Shell.
To see Wopke Hoekstra’s mission statement, go to https://aeur.eu/f/dgu
Jessika Roswall. The current Swedish Minister for European Affairs, Jessika Roswall (EPP), has been appointed European Commissioner for ‘Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy’.
Ms Roswall will also have to ensure that the European objectives of the ‘Green Deal’ are compatible with economic imperatives.
In addition, she will be tasked with strengthening water resilience, a decisive issue at a time when the European continent is facing increased droughts and a growing scarcity of drinking water resources.
Ms Roswall’s appointment to this post is likely to be viewed in the context of her role in Ulf Kristersson’s government, which was accused of weakening the country’s climate policy.
In particular, the Swedish Council for Climate Policy has criticised it for failing to meet the targets set for 2030. Sweden was also opposed to the law on nature restoration.
To see Jessika Roswall’s mission statement, go to https://aeur.eu/f/dh1 (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry and Pauline Denys)