Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate for Justice, is heard by the Committee on Civil Liberties and Home Affairs (LIBE) and Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) in association with the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) of the European Parliament in Brussels to test his general competences, European commitment and specific expertise related to his portfolio. Statements by Pascal ARIMONT (EPP, BE), Maite PAGAZAURTUNDÚA RUIZ (RE, FR), Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE) and Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate for Justice.

Brussels

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Committee on Legal Affairs

PAGAZAURTUNDÚA, Maite (Renew, ES)

ERNST, Cornelia (The Left, DE)

ARIMONT, Pascal (EPP, BE)

REYNDERS, Didier (BE, EC)

hearing of Commissioners

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Didier REYNDERS 2019 (T)

Hearing of Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice: extracts from the hearing (2/2)

SOUNDBITE (German), Pascal ARIMONT (EPP, BE), Do you agree that in terms of consumer protection we need to fully harmonise the regulations?

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, We are seeing a very complicated situation with the bankruptcy of a travel operator. I think that the situation is not unravelling all that bad. We are talking about 600,000 people affected, but thanks to a directive on package holidays we do not have, at least for the passengers, the same ability to act as when it is an airline that is becoming bankrupt. I think we need to have at the European level if possible these types of guarantees through harmonisation of these passengers, not necessarily looking at past situations. As I said, if we look at the example of Thomas Cook is not the same situation, and we are already seeing that airlines companies going bankrupt. I think there will be work down here. I agree with you that it is important to have this harmonisation, particularly for more vulnerable consumers. 

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Maite PAGAZAURTUND&#218;A RUIZ (RE, FR), I understand that if we have clear commitments in our parliamentary work regarding the rule of law, will you reform the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), will you improve it and amend it?

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, The European Commission is running an assessment on that and I think we are seeking to ensure that all Member States are complying with respecting the rule of law and they are fully aware of the EU legislation and when necessary embark on infringement proceedings should that be necessary for those Member States out of sync. And if the assessment shows that there is a need for the revision of the EAW, I will be very happy to come back with proposals of such an overhaul. Of course the Parliament will be fully involved, and I will need a majority in this House, and then table them in the Council, in order to go further in cracking down and going after certain forms of serious crimes.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cornelia ERNST (GUE/NGL, DE), What are your points, what are the points you would like to raise to protect whistleblowers at the European level?

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, The answer has been already handed to journalist associations in Belgium and the Council of Europe given that the text will be adjusted. There was no prison sentence involved to be clear. The text articulates situations where classified information cannot be disseminated as in all Member States by the individuals that hold that information, which it is not intended for journalist. When it comes to whistle-blowers I think that we must get the directive debated and applied by all Member Stats and on top that extra measures for backing and legal, financial and psicologic support. It will be interesting to see whether the Member States and the EU want to go further.