Hearings for candidates

Date: 09/09/04

A PROVISIONAL timetable has been drawn up for the Parliamentary hearings in which MEPs will question the nominated candidates for the new European Commission. Each hearing will last three hours.

A Parliament spokesman said the timetable had been drawn up by its services in conjunction with the Commission, adding: "The order of the sessions could still be changed but, hopefully, this should not create any problems for anyone." The Parliament will vote whether or not to approve the College of commissioners in the last week of October. It can reject the whole College but not individual members. The new Commission is to take up office on 1 November. The provisional order for the hearings is:

• 27 September: Vladimir Spidla (appears before employment committee, 1pm-4pm); Jan Figel (culture, 4.30pm-7.30pm);
• 28 September: Danuta Hübner (regional development, 9am-noon); Neelie Kroes (economic and monetary affairs, 1-4pm); Dalia Grybauskaite (budgetary control, 4.30-7.30pm);
• 29 September: Stavros Dimas (environment, 9am-noon); Viviane Reding (industry, 1-4pm); Jacques Barrot (transport, 4.30-7.30pm);
• 30 September: Günter Verheugen (industry, 9am-noon); Margot Wallström (constitutional affairs, 1-4pm); Laszlo Kovacs (industry, 4.30-7.30pm);
• 1 October: Janez Potocnik (industry, 9am-noon);
• 4 October: Peter Mandelson (international trade, 9am-noon); Olli Rehn (foreign affairs, 4.30-7.30pm);
• 5 October: Benita Ferrero-Waldner (foreign affairs, 9am-noon); Rocco Buttiglione (justice and home affairs, 1-4pm); Joe Borg (fisheries, 4.30-7.30pm);
• 6 October: Louis Michel (development, 9am-noon); Siim Kallas (budgetary control, 1-4.30pm); Mariann Fischer Boel (agriculture 4.30-7.30pm);
• 7 October: Ingrida Udre (economic and monetary affairs, 9am-noon); Joaquín Almunia (economic and monetary affairs, 1-4.30pm); Charlie McCreevy (internal market, 4.30-7.30pm);
• 8 October: Markos Kyprianou (environment, 9am-noon).

A provisional timetable has been set up for the individual hearings of the candidates for the Barroso Commission at the European Parliament which are due to take place from 27 September to 7 October 2004.