It won’t come as any great surprise to observers of the goings on in Brussels that EU Trade Commissioner designate Phil Hogan sailed through his committee appearance. Prior to appointment, all commissioners designate appear before the relevant committee, where MEPs have the opportunity to grill the candidates.
It won’t come as any great surprise to observers of the goings on in Brussels that EU Trade Commissioner designate Phil Hogan sailed through his committee appearance.
Prior to appointment, all commissioners designate appear before the relevant committee, where MEPs have the opportunity to grill the candidates.
When all the commissioners have been through the process, the parliament then has the opportunity to accept or reject the Commission in its entirety.
If a commissioner doesn't give a satisfactory performance or has failed any scrutiny, it has been the custom that an alternative nominee is put forward by the country that the failed candidate has come from, as was the case with Hungary on Monday.
Hogan had no such problems.
Applause
The Dealer heard that Hogan’s interrogation finished up early and was met with a round of applause by committee members, such was the outgoing Agriculture Commissioner’s command of his brief.
Clearly the now-second term commissioner has learned the ropes over the past five years in Brussels. That includes the smallest details that mattered to the members in the committee – the commissioner duly noted concerns about restrictions on Belgian fries.
Benefits
Even the most grudging of political opponents recognise the benefit of having a commissioner from Ireland in such as senior portfolio as trade.
However, it won’t be plain sailing for Hogan in his new portfolio.
He has a tough job to persuade not just farmers on the merits of Mercosur, but also those with an environmental priority.
I wish him well, but will be holding him to account on the promises he made in an interview with this newspaper just after the Mercosur deal – that Brazil will replant 1m hectares of forest for the next 12 years, a €1bn market displacement fund and the safeguard clause in the event of market disruption.
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