Two questions for the European Commissio

PRESS RELEASE

Two questions for the European Commissioners’ designate

Brussels, 12 September 2014

Between the 22th and 30th September 2014, the European Parliament (EP) will hold the hearings for the Commissioners designate. Indeed, ever since the Lisbon Treaty, the EP has to approve the proposed candidates for becoming Commissioners. During this process, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) can question the Commissionners-designate on their suitability for the role and potentially refuse them.

In the hearings, each parliamentary committee will be given the chance to ask the relevant Commissioner-designate a series of questions focusing both on their aptness for the position, as well as on their plans for their mandate.

Social Services Europe, bringing together 9 EU NGOs, represeting over 100,000 social service providers for persons with disabilities throughout Europe, fully welcomes this process which brings added democratic legitimacy and transparency to the decision of whom should be our next European Commissioners. Indeed, each European Commissioners will be in charge of developing key policies and actions over the next few years, having an impact on nearly every aspect of our lives and it is only normal that our elected Members of the EP can have a say in the decision to appoint them or not.

Considering the importance of this process, Social Services Europe calls for MEPs to ask the following two questions to the relevant Commissioners-designate:

To the Commissioner-designate for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. How do you plan to unleash the job creation potential in the social services sector? Do you think a dedicated Communication in which a proposal for an EU action plan is presented would be useful?

To the Commissioner-designate for Trade. How is the European Commission planning to safeguard quality public services in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations and will the social and health services sectors be completely excluded?

For more information, please see full written questions.