EU Parliament greenlights new commission
The European Parliament has approved the composition of the new European Commission. A total of 370 members of the European Parliament voted in favor of its appointment as proposed, while 282 were against, and 36 abstained.
Wednesday's vote concludes the process of forming the new college in the European Parliament, which was reorganized following the European elections in June.
The next step requires the new European Commission to be accepted by the European Council, consisting of the heads of state and government. A qualified majority is needed, meaning 15 countries must vote in favor—this is expected to be a formality.
The new European Commission is anticipated to begin its work on December 1.
Ursula von der Leyen will head the European Commission again. She was nominated for a second term by the leaders of EU member countries, and the European Parliament elected her in a secret ballot in July this year.
Member states proposed candidates for commissioners. Based on these suggestions, the head of the European Commission—after her own approval by the European Parliament—assembled the commission's new lineup.
All candidates appeared before the European Parliament committees in the first half of November, where they demonstrated their knowledge of their respective areas of oversight.
