The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) finalised, on Monday 7 October, its draft questions for Romanian Roxana Mînzatu, appointed by Ursula von der Leyen as the future Executive Vice-President for ‘People, Skills and Preparedness’.
The EMPL committee will be invited to follow the hearings of nine other candidates. EMPL members have therefore grouped the questions they intend to put to their former S&D MEP in November into three main blocks. They did the same for Dan Jørgensen, the Danish Commissioner-designate for Energy and Housing, as the EMPL Committee wants to keep a very close eye on the issue of affordable housing.
With regard to Ms Mînzatu, the European Parliament first expressed its concern at the fragmentation of social and employment policy and its inclusion in many of the portfolios of the Commissioners-designate, as well as the missing social and employment dimension in the title of the Executive Vice-President-designate.
“How does the Vice-President-designate intend to ensure that this fragmentation does not undermine the implementation of the principles of the European Pillar of Social rights? How will you cooperate with the other Commissioners to achieve these objectives? Also, would you agree to change your title to ‘Executive Vice-President for quality jobs, social rights, skills and education’ and take necessary measures to consolidate social and employment policies and ensure efficient structures and oversight?”, the MEPs will first ask her.
Secondly, EMPL members will review the La Hulpe declaration, approved in June by 25 Member States (Austria and Sweden did not want to join the text). They will ask the Romanian candidate what legislative initiatives will enable the Pillar of Social Rights to be implemented further, particularly in the areas of digitalisation at work, housing and collective bargaining.
“What concrete measures and actions will you propose to tackle critical skills and labour shortages in European labour markets and to create good opportunities in all regions of Europe? How will you ensure that all workers, especially low-skilled workers, can benefit from the Union of Skills and can enjoy the right to training as well as equal access to upskilling and reskilling programmes, especially in light of the green and digital transitions?”, they will also ask.
The third set of questions will focus on poverty. “Around 95 million people in the Union live at risk of poverty and social exclusion, including 19 million children. Even 11% of workers are exposed to this risk. Which concrete legislative initiatives will you propose in the context of the first ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, announced by Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen?”
The Romanian will also be asked whether the Commission will present a directive on adequate minimum income.
Together with the Housing Commissioner, Dan Jørgensen, the EMPL Committee will be looking at how the first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan, announced by Ms von der Leyen, will provide sufficient affordable housing to meet the housing needs of low- and middle-income groups.
“How will you guarantee the ‘housing first’ principle as it has proven to be effective on both economic and social terms to end homelessness?”
And how “are you going to ensure close cooperation with Executive Vice-President-designate Mînzatu in this context?”, they will ask Mr Jørgensen. He will also be questioned on the fight against energy poverty and the social, fair and competitive transition. “What policies do you intend to implement to protect those most impacted by energy poverty, ensuring affordable renovation and access to green housing? How will the Action Plan for Affordable Energy Prices tackle energy poverty?”
Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President-designate for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy, will be invited to explain his approach to the revision of the Public Procurement Directive, which can play a key role in promoting high labour standards.
And Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Executive Vice-President-designate for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, will be asked about the Social Climate Fund, among other issues.
Link to the draft questions: https://aeur.eu/f/dr8 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)