The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report by Andrew DUFF (ALDE,UK) on guidelines for the approval of the European Commission. (Please see the document of 06/06/2005.) Parliament laid down certain principles, criteria and arrangements for making the whole college of the Commission subject to its vote of consent.
Criteria for assessment:Parliament stated that it would evaluate Commissioners-designate on the grounds of their general competence, European commitment and indubitable independence, assessing knowledge of the relevant portfolio and communication skills. It would have special regard for gender balance, and may express itself on the disposition of portfolio responsibilities by the President-elect. Parliament stated also that it would expect full disclosure of information pertaining to financial interests.
Hearings:Each Commissioner-designate will be invited to appear before the appropriate parliamentary committee or committees for a single hearing of three hours. The hearings will be in public. Parliament laid down certain guidelines for the organisation of hearings, as well as arrangements where there are mixed portfolios.
Evaluation:An indexed video recording of the hearings should be made available for the public record within twenty-four hours. The committees should meet without delay after the hearing to make their evaluation of the individual Commissioners-designate. These meetings will be in camera. After this:
-The committees are invited to state whether the Commissioners-designate are qualified both to be a member of the college and to carry out the particular duties for which they have been nominated. If a committee is unable to reach a consensus on both of these points, as a last resort its chairman will put the two decisions to a vote.
-The statements of evaluation shall be made public and presented at a joint meeting of the Conference of Presidents and the Conference of Committee Chairs, which shall be held in camera.
-The President-elect of the Commission shall present the whole college of Commissioners at a sitting of Parliament. The presentation will be followed by a debate. In order to wind up the debate, any political group or at least thirty-seven Members may table a motion for resolution.
-Following the vote on the motion for resolution, Parliament will then vote on whether or not to give its consent to the appointment as a body of the President and other members of the Commission. Parliament shall decide by a majority of the votes cast, by roll call. It may defer the vote until the next sitting;
If there is a change in the composition or disposition of the Commission during its term of office, Parliament will invite the candidate for the Commission to participate in a hearing under the same conditions as those already laid down.
Lastly, in order to facilitate the preparation of the approval process of the Commission, Parliament requested the Council to bring forward the period of the next parliamentary elections from June to May 2009.