New EU Commission hearings timeline to be proposed Tuesday

Good morning from Brussels,

European Parliament committee chairs are expected to outline a plan for grilling candidates for the next European Commission at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.

Euractiv has learnt that the EU Parliament’s largest group, the centre-right EPP, wants the hearings to start on 14 October. However, other groups are pushing for 4 November.

Candidates only need a simple majority to get through the second round of hearings. For any candidate who fails to obtain this, his or her country must propose a replacement. This could put the new Commission by 1 December deadline under serious pressure, especially if countries take their time to come up with replacements.

Moreover, there is still some disagreement among committees about the division of labour.

Magnus Lund Nielsen and Nicholas Wallace explore all the different scenarios.

When Dutchman Mark Rutte takes over as NATO's secretary general on Tuesday, his first five tasks may be obvious and unsurprising, but they will not be easy to navigate.
Also listen to the Podcast on Rutte's challenges and high expectations here.

In the defence field, member states are not convinced that the EU can scale up production to be sufficiently prepared for war, according to a draft document seen by Euractiv.

On economy, German Economy State Secretary Sven Giegold said on Monday he wants the Commission to prioritise renewable energy, taking a tough line on nuclear power and France’s renewable targets. In addition, Mario Draghi stressed that common debt is not ‘essential’ for EU competitiveness.

PARIS

The trial of far-right leader Marine Le Pen and 26 other senior members of the National Front, accused of using fake jobs to embezzle EU funds from the European Parliament, began in a packed courtroom on Monday, with a sea of cameras waiting for the far-right leader outside. Read more.

COPENHAGEN

EU top court to review Denmark’s ‘ghetto law’ for potential breach of anti-discrimination rules. The EU Court of Justice will hear arguments on whether the Danish law limiting the concentration of ethnic minorities in certain neighbourhoods violates EU anti-discrimination law. Read more.

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VILNIUS

Lithuania pushes for ICC investigation of Belarusian Lukashenko. Lithuania has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate alleged crimes against humanity by the regime of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, including forced deportations, persecution of opposition supporters and inhumane treatment. Read more.

ATHENS

EU prosecutor calls on Greece to change law protecting ministers. EU Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has called on Greek politicians to change a law that provides ministers with immunity, saying it goes against the European law and prevented an EU investigation over a deadly train accident that cost the lives of 57 people. Read more.

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ROME

Italian government divided over Austrian election winner. As the official results from Austria’s general election have confirmed a win for Herbert Kickl’s far-right FPÖ party, the ruling coalition in Italy is divided over what to think of the victor. Read more.

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MADRID

Spanish government blamed for deadly migrant tragedy in Canary Islands. The tragic death of nine migrants in the waters of the Canary Islands on Friday has prompted the far-left Podemos party to blame the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and its junior partner, Sumar, and to call on the EU not to build "walls" against immigration. Read more.

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LISBON

Immigrant residency applications in Portugal fall 80% since rule change. The number of applications for immigrant residency in Portugal has fallen by around 80%, Cabinet Minister António Leitão Amaro said on Monday, accusing the left of still not realising the mistake they have made. Read more.

WARSAW | PRAGUE

Polish President Andrzej Duda has come under fire for attending the 80th birthday party of controversial former Czech president Miloš Zeman, known for his pro-Russian views. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria starts full review of its combat aviation. Bulgaria is to begin a long-awaited review of the readiness and training of its air force, which has seen several fatalities during combat exercises and demonstration flights in recent years. Read more.

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Martina Monti, Alice Taylor-Braçe]