The Committees on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), on Foreign Affairs (AFET), on Development (DEVE) hold a joint public hearing with Mr Wopke HOEKSTRA, Commissioner-designate for Climate Action. HOEKSTRA has been named by the Dutch Government to substitute the former Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for the file on Climate Action, Frans TIMMERMANS, who will run for the National elections in his country. Opening and introduction by Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR) - Chair of ENVI. This transcription is a result of an automnatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

public hearing

hearing of Commissioners

CANFIN, Pascal (Renew, FR)

hearing of Wopke HOEKSTRA 2023 (T)

Hearing of Wopke HOEKSTRA, Commissioner-designate for Climate Action: opening and introduction by Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR) - Chair of ENVI

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), So first, of course, I would like to welcome Wopke HOEKSTRA, Commissioner-designate for Climate Action. So, I can see your back quite well. Thank you and welcome to ENVI and also to the EPP room. As you know, we are in the EPP room. So, I'm happy to have a constructive spirit from EPP, at least sharing the room tonight.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), I would like to also welcome the Associated Committees members, starting, of course, with their respective Chairs for AFET, DEVE and ITRE, Mr. BUŞOI, Mr. TOBÉ and Mr. McAllister. Thank you for being with us tonight. So, I will have to recall you in a formal manner, a certain element for the procedure.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), So, we will, of course, be in line with the guidelines for the approval of the Commission, Annexe seven to the Rules of Procedure. We will evaluate Commissioner-designate on the basis of his general competence, European commitment and personal independence. We will also assess the knowledge of his respective portfolio and his communication skills.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), That's the formal reading of what we what is expected from us tonight before the hearing. As we all know, Commissioner-designate, you have replied in writing to a prepared questionnaire and the written answers have been distributed to members in all languages.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), I would like also to inform you that the Committee on Legal Affairs has raised no objection to the holding of this hearing. I now briefly explain the structure of the debate. The Commissioner designate is invited to make an opening oral statement of no longer than 15 minutes, not 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and he will then also have 5 minutes at the end of the meeting for a closing statement after the introduction.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), There will be the time for 25 questions from MEPs. The debate will be held in slots of 5 minutes each, so you will have to be disciplined. 1.15 seconds, 1.1 minutes, 15 seconds for the first question. 2 minutes for the first answer from Mr. Hoekstra and then if you want to, you have the opportunity to have a follow up question and the question should not be longer than 45 seconds and then, one minute for the reply.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), The first round will be made of seven questions by political groups, coordinators or their representatives, and the second round will be of 18 questions based on the overall distributions of questions among political groups. And I would like as well to draw the attention to the fact that interpretation is provided in 23 languages. So, feel free of course, to use your own language.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pascal CANFIN (Renew, FR), And finally, I would like to inform you that the debate will be, of course, streamed live on the Parliament's website. So, I now give you the floor Commissioner-designate, Ms. Hoekstra, for no longer than 15 minutes. The floor is yours.