Mînzatu and Várhelyi respon­sible for social affairs and health.

HS – 11/2024

Ursula von der Leyen's new college was elected by the European Parliament on 27 November with 370 of 688 votes cast.  Apart from her as President, it consists of six Executive Vice-Presidents as well as 19 Commissioners.

Parlia­men­tary hear­ings

The hearings of the Commissioners-designate of the new European Commission took place in the European Parliament from 4 to 12 November. Of particular interest to the social insurance were the hearings of the designated Commissioner responsible for health, Olivér Várhelyi, and the designated Executive Vice-President responsible for social affairs and employment, Roxana Mînzatu.

Várhelyi is a familiar face

Várhelyi has been part of the European Commission for the last five years as Commissioner for Enlargement. As such, he has already clashed with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), which is why his hearing was eagerly awaited. The lead responsibility for his hearing lay with the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI). He performed well overall, appeared knowledgeable and even received applause after his closing statement. Questions on women's health, particularly abortion and reproductive medicine, were critical. Here he was less clear than MEPs would have liked, instead referring to the competence of the member states.

Topics in the health sector

Asked about the Medical Device Regulation, Várhelyi confirmed that its review would aim to reduce costs and bureaucracy for manufacturers. He promised to implement changes to the certification of medical devices by the first quarter of 2025. Regarding the pharmaceutical reform, he is seeking a balanced compromise solution and added that regulatory approaches alone are not enough. Creating a ‘critical market size’ is crucial. He supports the Commission's proposal to reduce data protection periods to six years. In addition, he intends to present a proposal for a law on critical medicines within the first 100 days to counteract supply shortages in Europe.

Mînzatu respon­sible for social affairs, employ­ment and educa­tion

The portfolio for social affairs and employment was initially to be called ‘People, skills and preparedness’. This had led some to fear that social issues could be pushed into the background. Mînzatu therefore made it clear early on how important the European Pillar of Social Rights is to her. Prior to her nomination, the Romanian was an unknown face in Brussels, but at her hearing she was able to convince with openness, a willingness to cooperate and expertise. The lead committees for her hearing were the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) and the Committee on Culture and Education (CULT).

Focus on quality jobs

Mînzatu's hearing covered a wide range of topics. She would like to develop the planned new action plan for the European Pillar of Social Rights through an EU-wide social policy dialogue. She wants to ensure quality jobs by developing a roadmap with social partners and promote labour mobility by modernising social security coordination. To protect workers' mental health, she promised to introduce the right to disconnect, as well as initiatives on telework and algorithmic management at work. She also supports an extension of the mandate of the European Labour Authority (ELA) to better protect cross-border workers.

Confir­ma­tion of Várhelyi and Mînzatu

Neither Várhelyi nor Mînzatu were confirmed immediately after their hearing. Várhelyi had to answer further written questions, while Mînzatu's confirmation was dependent on the confirmation of the other five Executive Vice-Presidents. After negotiations between the political groups in the European Parliament, all six and Várhelyi were finally confirmed. In the course of this, Mînzatu's title was adjusted – she is now Executive Vice-President for Quality Jobs and Social Rights, Education, Skills and Preparedness. In addition, Várhelyi's responsibilities have been curtailed. Contrary to the original proposal, he will not be responsible for crisis preparedness and management, including HERA, or the protection of sexual and reproductive health rights. These areas will be taken over by the Belgian Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management as well as Equality, Hadja Lahbib. The new Commission will take up its duties on 1 December.

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