EU Insight, 20 September 2024

Brussels, 20 September 2024

VON DER LEYEN UNVEILS NEW PROPOSED COLLEGE OF COMMISSIONERS

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her structure for the new College of Commissioners. Overall, the new College will be made up of six Executive Vice-Presidents (EVPs) and 20 Commissioners. There will be new portfolios, such as designated Commissioners responsible for Defence and the Mediterranean. In terms of responsibilities, the distribution of policy areas across various Commissioners, seemingly aims to ensure greater coordination between Commission services, as well as to prevent any Commissioner holding too much power on one topic. For example, von der Leyen tasked both EVP Teresa Ribera and EVP Stéphane Séjourné to oversee the EU’s industrial decarbonisation. Before getting to work, the new College will be scrutinised by the European Parliament, with hearings due to take place in October and November.

MEMBER STATES URGE NEW COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY FOR THE SINGLE MARKET

20 EU countries presented a paper on the Single’s Markets future. The paper, which is addressed to the new College of Commissioners, puts forth priority areas of action to further develop the Union’s Single Market, building on the reports on the topic by Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta. Concretely the signatories call for a horizontal Single Market Strategy, to simplify, harmonise and boost the digitalisation of the European business environment. In that vein, the paper asks to define concrete short and medium term actions and targets to guarantee quality and consistency in policy enforcement and thus provide a stable environment for businesses to thrive.

NEW FINANCIAL AID FOR UKRAINE, WHILE PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR MORE MILITARY SUPPORT

In a gesture of solidarity, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on Member States to lift restrictions preventing Ukraine from using western weapons against military targets in Russia. The resolution also urges European capitals to maintain arms deliveries and to continue work on avoiding circumvention of EU sanctions. In a similar vein, the Commission unveiled new financial aid for Ukraine consisting of a loan of up to €35 billion, to be disbursed as soon as possible. This loan is part of a broader financial assistance package worth up to €45 billion by G7 countries, for which the profits from frozen Russian assets are to be used as a guarantee.

PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION RECOGNISES EDMUNDO GONZALEZ AS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Venezuela, following the elections that transpired in the country over summer. The Parliament condemned the electoral fraud orchestrated by the regime and the issuance of an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, as well as state violence against the opposition and civil society, and other alleged human rights violations. A such, the resolution calls for the EU to reinstate sanctions on Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (which were lifted in May 2024), prolong regime sanctions, and expand them to target Nicolás Maduro and his inner circle, and recognises Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president of Venezuela.

COMMISSION RECOMMENDS EXPANSION OF SMOKE FREE ZONES

The Commission recommended that Member States reinforce smoke-free policies. The Commission’s initiative aims to better protect the public from second-hand smoke in public spaces for outdoor activities. The proposal revises the 2009 Council Recommendation on smoke-free environments, by expanding its scope to certain outdoor areas, such as restaurant terraces, public playgrounds, schools and universities or any public buildings. The updated recommendation also extends these protections to cover electronic cigarettes and other emerging tobacco products. While not being an official legislative text, and as a such of non-binding nature, the Commission’s recommendation follows a global policy trend to address the health risks of smoking, especially among young generations.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK

• 23 September: Agriculture and Fisheries Council.
• 24 September: General Affairs Council.
• 24-30 September: UN General Assembly.
• 26 September: Competitiveness Council. On the agenda: Future of European competitiveness; State aid framework; SMEs and the benefits of the single market.

Karl Isaksson, Managing Partner Brussels, Kreab

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Kreab • Tel: +32 2 737 6900 • karl.isaksson@kreab.com • www.kreab.com/brussels • X: @KreabEU  •  LinkedIn: Kreab Worldwide