Transmission to start at 2.30pm
***
Following her nomination by the local Maltese government, ex-Minister for Equality Helena Dalli today will face a gruelling three-hour grilling session as one of her first public tests as Commissioner-Designate for Equality with the European Commission.
Along with 25 other nominees, members of 19 committees in the European Parliament will be asking at least 25 questions per hearing, amounting to a total of over 75 hours over the course of six non-consecutive days.
Parliament and MEPs will also have the ability to say no to not only the commissioners but their entire teams.
European Parliament spokesperson Jaume Duch Guillot spoke with Politico about the procedure, calling it “rather unique”, in that “most national parliaments only have the right to interrogate ministers once in position”.
Starting at 2:30 pm, Dalli will be grilled by the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) and Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) committees, with the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee also being invited to forward questions at their discretion.
She will have the opportunity to give a 15-minute introductory statement, following which she will be asked the 25 questions with the possibility of further follow-up questions being thrown her way.
At the end of the sessions, Dalli will be given five minutes to make closing remarks.
The lead MEPs participating from each of the committees participating will then vote on the candidate from which a two-thirds majority would be needed, and the decision is then sent in a letter to the Conference of Committee Chairs.
If this fails then MEPs will send her further written questions, and if the dissatisfaction persists, another hearing could be arranged.
No approval after a second hearing will lead to committees voting on the nominee with a simple majority required to pass.
