Leading the European Union’s institutions, agencies and bodies is a high-profile position of great responsibility, with nominees called upon to represent all EU citizens. A broader renewal of the leadership of all the European Union’s main institutions follows the June 2024 European elections, in which both Parliament and the Council play a major role. The European Parliament has the power to nominate, vet and appoint people to these senior positions, although its exact role varies from case to case. Even where Parliament’s opinions are not legally binding, Parliament can closely scrutinise candidates to ensure they are qualified for the job. The publicity that often surrounds hearings and the questionnaires candidates answer provides Parliament with a further opportunity to exercise political leverage.
During the ninth legislative term, Parliament used its powers to nominate and appoint holders of senior positions in EU institutions and other EU bodies. Examples include the hearing process that led to the appointment of the von der Leyen Commission, the replacement of Commissioners mid-mandate, and the appointment of the first ever European Chief Prosecutor.
The appointment process for the college of Commissioners has evolved over the years and influenced the relationships and exercise of power between the institutions concerned. Parliament’s committees have expressed doubt as to candidates’ specific expertise and probed more deeply where needed. In 2019, Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs examined all candidate commissioners’ declarations of financial interests, to assess possible conflicts of interest prior to their hearings. Two candidates withdrew from the process after the committee hearings, and Parliament addressed additional written questions to four other candidates. The committee decided one candidate was unqualified to be a member of the college and her candidacy was withdrawn.
Parliament has also been actively involved in replacing individual commissioners during their mandates. For example, after he responded to written follow-up questions, Parliament voted in favour of Wopke Hoekstra as Frans Timmermans’ successor.
Parliament and the Council appoint the European Chief Prosecutor by common accord. In 2019, the selection process saw a long power struggle between the two institutions. The deadlock was finally broken following a public hearing organised by Parliament’s Committees on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and on Budgetary Control. The successful candidate, Laura Codruţa Kövesi, had the Parliament’s backing.
Parliament thus ensures EU leaders are qualified for their position, by exercising its influence on constitutional issues and closely scrutinising candidates. Parliament’s powers fall broadly into six, often overlapping, domains: law-making, the budget, scrutiny of the executive, external relations, and, to a lesser extent, constitutional affairs and agenda-setting. This graphic shows more examples of areas where Parliament used one or more of its different powers to influence legislation:
For a fuller picture of the European Parliament’s activity over the past five years, take a look at our publication Examples of Parliament’s impact: 2019 to 2024: Illustrating the powers of the European Parliament, from which this case is drawn.
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