Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Commissioner-designate for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight is heard by the Committees on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) and on Legal Affairs (JURI) in association with Committees on Petition (PETI) and on Industry, Energy and Research (ITRE) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test his general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio. Statements by Axel VOSS (EPP, DE), Karen MELCHIOR (RE, DK), Daniel FREUND (Greens/EFA, DE), Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK) and Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President-designate, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.

Brussels

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Committee on Legal Affairs

ŠEFČOVIČ, Maroš (SK, EC)

Committee on Constitutional Affairs

hearing

Committee on Petitions

VOSS, Axel (EPP, DE)

hearing of Commissioners

BILČÍK, Vladimír (EPP, SK)

MELCHIOR, Karen (Renew, DK)

FREUND, Daniel (Greens/EFA, DE)

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ 2019 (T)

Hearing of Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Commissioner-designate, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight: extracts from the hearing

SOUNDBITE (English), Axel VOSS (EPP, DE), To alleviate the regulatory burden for people and for business you will develop a new instrument to deliver "one-in-one out" principle. In concrete, how do you plan to work at EU level and together with member states when transposing EU legislation to implement such a principle and avoid unnecessary administrative burdens?

SOUNDBITE (English), Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President-designate, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, So how I would like to do it? First, I am going to rebrand the REFIT program to "Fit for the future" where I also want to discuss widely with you because I think that the traditional assessment although how the legislation is working, I mean needs also an upgrade. Is it digital enough, is it compatible with e-government? Does it have these things? Small first approach. Is the burden which is in the legislation a problem of the EU legislation or is it transposition or very often, sometimes that last table, the last annex at the end of the legislation which we would need to change.

SOUNDBITE (English), Karen MELCHIOR (RE, DK), The former commission withheld expert analysis by the Joint Research Centre and refused to take into account statements from academics. How will you as a commissioner make sure that all expert evidence and impact assessments are published in the evidence register that you mentioned and are included in the proposals?

SOUNDBITE (English), Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President-designate, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight,  My idea would be to really set up internal institutional evidence by register where we would put all that good work by our scientists, by our experts which was done it would be of course under your control it would be in inter-institutional and I believe that all these studies and evidence based reports would help us to make better, more future oriented legislation.

SOUNDBITE (German), Daniel FREUND (Greens/EFA, DE), I wanted to ask you if you already have a list of what among the 97 old laws you would take out with this proposal from Mrs Von der Leyen?

SOUNDBITE (English), Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President-designate, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight,  What the president-elect wanted to achieve with this approach one in one out was I would say the new new discipline how we look at administrative burden, so if we are bringing something in we should just really measure how much more burdensome this would be for let's say small and medium sized enterprises for businesses or for the citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Slovak), Vladim&#237;r BIL&#268;&#205;K (EPP, SK), In March this year you welcomed the Slovak government&rsquo;s council of Europe agreement to disband gender based violence.

SOUNDBITE (English), Maros SEFCOVIC, Vice-President-designate, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight,  Firstly I am a father of two daughters and it&rsquo;s so unpleasant for me personally to see how my two daughters have worse prospects in life than my son by the very virtue of being born girls and my words affirmed my aim across my whole life. When I was the Human Resources commissioner I followed that up. When it was my absolute interest to make sure that we as a European administration set a positive example.