Hearing of Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate for Economy, is heard by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) in association with the Committee on Budgets (BUDG) and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test his general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio. Statements by Markus FERBER (EPP, DE), Jonás FERNÁNDEZ (S&D, ES), Luis GARICANO (RE, ES), Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/EFA, DE), Manon AUBRY (GUE/NGL, FR) and Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate for Economy.

Brussels

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

FERNÁNDEZ, Jonás (S&D, ES)

Committee on Budgets

GIEGOLD, Sven (Greens/EFA, DE)

FERBER, Markus (EPP, DE)

GENTILONI, Paolo (IT, EC)

hearing of Commissioners

AUBRY, Manon (The Left, FR)

GARICANO, Luis (Renew, ES)

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Paolo GENTILONI 2019 (T)

Hearing of Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy: extracts from the hearing (1/2)

SOUNDBITE (English), Markus FERBER (EPP, DE), So first of all what do you think about this Stability and Growth Pact. What is your view on that? How will you implement it? How will you acquire that the rules are applied and how will you do this particularly in the context of the Italian national budget?

SOUNDBITE (English), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, I will not comment on the Italian draft budget because by the way we don't have it. We will have a draft budget plan in 12 days from now. And I will give to this draft budget plan exactly the same attention, attitude of dialogue and seriousness about the rules that I will give to the other 26 member states.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Jon&#225;s FERN&#193;NDEZ (S&amp;D, ES), What is your view of any revision of the SGP?

SOUNDBITE (English), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, We need to add to monetary policy a more coordinated fiscal policy with the differentiation that are obvious among different countries and a strong focus on investment. President-elect indicated a few tools that are relevant from my point of view. One is this re-insurance unemployment scheme. The other one is the budget instrument for convergence and competitiveness.

SOUNDBITE (English), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, It should not be a tool for a permanent transfer from country to country. It should not weaken the structural reform process undergoing in single member states. It should be concentrated on external relevant shocks.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Luis GARICANO, So how can this national unemployment benefits scheme be designed?

SOUNDBITE (English), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, It should not be a tool for a permanent transfer from country to country. It should not weaken the structural reform process undergoing in single member states. It should be concentrated on external relevant shocks.

SOUNDBITE (English), Sven GIEGOLD (Greens/EFA, DE), Do you commit to present an action plan for fair and green taxation including the following new legislative proposals: A) new EU tax package on effective corporate taxation to contribute to a minimum corporate tax rate in the EU. And second, a shift towards environmental and energy taxation in the union including a kerosene tax for the aviation sector and a carbon tax including a border adjustment tax to ensure the respect of the polluter pays principle?

SOUNDBITE (English), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, Yes we are committed on these issues: environment, corporate, digital, tax fraud.

SOUNDBITE (English), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, I think that this proposal. Has in fact a dual goal. We have not to under estimate obviously. One goal, perhaps the first one, at least towards our citizens, which is the social goal of having an instrument to strengthen national instruments against unemployment.

SOUNDBITE (French), Manon AUBRY (GUE/NGL, FR), Certain companies that you know well if we look at your portfolio of shares and assets, for example like Amazon and others, that don't neccesarily have the best behaviour in fiscal terms.

SOUNDBITE (French), Paolo GENTILONI, Commissioner-designate, Economy, Well in terms of my portfolio, as you did mention it, that's all cleared now. I declared it all. All of the shares have been sold and this happened before I sent my documents into the JURI committee and I read in some Italian press that it was a millionaire portfolio which it wasn't. At any rate it is all sold.