A hearing was held at the European Parliament in Brussels for Maroš Šefčovič, the nominee for EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, as well as Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency. PiS MEPs Bogdan Rzońca and Patryk Jaki took part in the discussion.
Bogdan Rzońca, chair of the Committee on Petitions, asked commissioners and high-level EU officials to actively participate in PETI committee meetings. He urged them to respond “clearly and unambiguously” to questions from MEPs and petitioners during committee meetings. “How do you intend to involve the relevant commissioners in the issues addressed by the Committee on Petitions?” the PETI Chair asked Šefčovič. Bogdan Rzońca also wanted to know how the Commissioner-designate “intends to ensure the European Commission’s participation in Petitions Committee meetings at the appropriate level, so as to address the issues raised by petitioners and help resolve them.”
In response to the questions from the Chair of the Committee on Petitions, the Commissioner-designate committed to treating petitioners’ cases fairly and ensuring the presence of high-level representatives at PETI meetings. He suggested grouping petitions into thematic blocks so that individual PETI Committee meetings would focus on a single topic, which would make it possible to send the commissioner responsible for that area to the meeting.
Maroš Šefčovič also highlighted the importance of the special infringement portal, where potential petitioners can check whether what they wish to report constitutes a violation of European law and to what extent. “This allows for closer contact and better resolution of the reported issues,” he noted.
Patryk Jaki noted that while EU Commissioner-designate Maroš Šefčovič is satisfied with the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe, “nearly half of the European Parliament and millions of people in Europe were not impressed by it.” The MEP asked Šefčovič whether he supports proposals for treaty changes, particularly the removal of unanimous voting. Patryk Jaki also referred to the green transition endorsed by the commissioner during the previous term of the European Parliament. “Do you know what the economic gap between us and the United States looks like, and how much it has widened since the EU began focusing on the green transition?” asked the Polish politician.
“Could you assure us that, should the Mercosur agreement be adopted, agricultural products entering the EU market will be subject to the same stringent restrictions as those applied to EU farmers?” the MEP wanted to know.
Maroš Šefčovič recalled that as early as 2019, the European Commission had submitted a proposal regarding the areas in which the requirement for unanimity could be abandoned in favor of qualified majority voting. “I supported that proposal and believe it would simplify—and, above all, speed up—the decision-making process in the EU,” he stated.
Referring to the green transition and the situation in the U.S., the Slovak politician noted that there are many reasons for the widening gap in energy prices. He pointed out that it is the European Union that is paying the highest price for the consequences of wars raging near our borders. “None of the world’s major economies has faced such a massive energy price crisis as we have, and that is why there is this difference in energy prices between the EU and the U.S.,” he noted. He pointed out that this difference is three to eight times greater. “That is why we must diversify, decarbonize, and achieve much more competitive energy prices, because this is one of the key drivers of the European economy’s competitiveness,” argued the candidate for commissioner. Maroš Šefčovič also added that “phytosanitary regulations are the same for every farmer.”
