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 Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate for Justice, Tiemo WÖLKEN (S&D, DE), Saskia BRICMONT (Greens/EFA, BE), Andrzej Witold HALICKI (EPP, PL), Michal ŠIMEČKA (RE, SK),

Brussels

Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Committee on Legal Affairs

REYNDERS, Didier (BE, EC)

WÖLKEN, Tiemo (S&D, DE)

hearing of Commissioners

HALICKI, Andrzej (EPP, PL)

ŠIMEČKA, Michal (Renew, SK)

BRICMONT, Saskia (Greens/EFA, BE)

2019 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Didier REYNDERS 2019 (T)

Hearing of Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice: extracts from the hearing (1/2)

Title:  Hearing of Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice: extracts from the hearing (1/2) (I-178291) 

SOUNDBITE (Polish), Andrzej Witold HALICKI (EPP, PL), Just how will you ensure the smooth running of the new mechanism for the rule of law in practice? Whow will you see to unity in this initiative when it comes to the rule of law?

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, Step number one will be to get the commission to produce a report on human rights that tend to be not just rule of law, it will also be a wider area and in the first year of the commission I would come back with a paper which would be a basis for discussion both in the Parliament and I hope and Council.

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, There is the infringement proceeding system vis-&agrave;-vis the Court of Justice and it's also possible to attempt to dialogue with the countries concerned and I would certainly do that. 

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, This would no doubt mean going to the countries concerned from the start of the mandate, because we can use these tools available for example the Venice Commission or Greco to advance legislative proposals which are more in line with the realities.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tiemo W&#214;LKEN (S&amp;D, DE), I regret that you didn't mention corporate sustainability and due diligence in your first remarks.For us transparency is a key element in ensuring corporate accountability too for identifying and addressing risk of adverse human rights impacts.

SOUNDBITE (English), Tiemo W&#214;LKEN (S&amp;D, DE), Are you going to present a legislative initiative amending the EU's non-financial reporting directive. And remember today more than 84 civil society organisations are demanding action of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, It's true that in the company law it's maybe important to go further, to go forward about different requirements. If we are organizing a real sustainable policy, we need to ask to all the companies to change maybe their way to think about the social interest. Social interest is not only a short term vision for the shareholders and for the profit of the shareholders. It's also a medium and long term vision. I mean a vision about a climate, about the local communities ,about environment, about different other stakeholders than just the shareholders.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, I am committed to work on the best legislative basis to be sure that for all the economic actors there is a real commitment to forefill the engagement about human rights and I'm sure that it's possible to do that in different legislative acts, but I'm very committed to do that. My answer is very clear. You ask a question do you will act on that. Yes I will do that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michal &#352;IME&#268;KA (RE, SK), To grant the European Parliament the right of initiative and follow up on its own legislative initiative reports by Article 202/ 25. Now can you explicitly confirm that this will also apply to this issue and to the report that the parliament has produced in October 2016.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, There is a responsibility from the Commission in front of the Parliament and so if you have a list of other independent bodies that is possible to consult and to ask to be given advice about the rule of law but also fundamental advice on democracy. I don't have any problem on that. The problem is to see if we install a new independent body with a responsibility.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice,  I am not against the possibilities to consult and to discuss with independent experts, but maybe not to create a new one.

SOUNDBITE (French), Saskia BRICMONT (Greens/EFA, BE), How would you ensure that Human rights are respected when we look at for example to countries in North Africa? How would you work with your colleagues when it comes to these Trade agreements on issues as migration?

SOUNDBITE (French), Didier REYNDERS, Commissioner-designate, Justice, I think it is important that we look more closely at Human rights aspects in trade agreements. This has evolved over time and it does imply other parts of our policies that we maintain with 3rd countries, but sometimes there is not the same approach on issues.