New European Commission
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.