The summer has been relatively calm for the EU, but action has been happening behind the scenes. After von Der Leyen’s appointment in July, and the appointment of Kaja Kallas as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Member States had until 30 August to put forward their candidate Commissioners. Although von der Leyen had requested each Member State to put forward both a male and a female candidate, allowing her to select one, only Bulgaria followed through. Currently, most of the candidates (18) are men, but this may change as von Der Leyen is currently working to correct this and try to achieve gender balance.  

Member states were allowed to express preferences for specific policy areas. Not all of them did, and as usual, economic roles were the most in demand. The nominees include some second terms. Three Vice-Presidents and three Commissioners have already held some key portfolios such as climate action, European Green Deal, enlargement, trade, and the internal market. The next step will be for von der Leyen to present her designated Commission team and portfolios to the Conference of Presidents (including the European Parliament President and chairs of Political Groups) on 11 September. Unfortunately, none have requested employment and social policy yet, so it is unclear who will be named Commissioner. 

Meanwhile in the Parliament, this week Mario Draghi is expected to present his long-awaited Report on the future of European Competitiveness to EU political groups, ahead of its official presentation, expected in late September. Parliament Committees are back from summer break and starting to meet, with the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) gathering on 4 September. Their agenda includes an exchange of views with Mario Nava, the Director General of DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and Guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States. Meanwhile, parliamentary intergroups are forming and will need endorsement from members of at least three political groups.  

The next plenary will take place between 16 and 19 September with discussions covering topics such as the programme of the Hungarian Presidency and the EU budget for 2025. There will also be debates on foreign policy and on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.  

After von Der Leyen presents the list of Commission candidates, hearings will be set up between the candidates and the relevant Parliamentary committees. Then, the full Commission needs to be elected by a simple majority of the votes cast in plenary. According to the latest updates, hearings won't start before 14 October. This means that if all candidates are approved, the new Commission will probably be able to start on 1 December. However, if any candidates are rejected, which is often the case, the start date could be delayed to 1 January.  

EASPD is closely monitoring the process and engaging with key members of the EMPL Committee to present our priorities while advocating for the establishment of intergroups on disability and the social economy. Alongside the Social Platform, EASPD will follow the Commissioner’s hearings, particularly those involving candidates for the Employment and Social Affairs portfolio. 

We will keep you in the loop.