To be opened in 2024
Every five years a new Commission takes office. Every time it happens, I forget the nuts and bolts of the transition, so I wanted to write a short note to myself for 2024.
I started this after preparing a note on how the Commission prepares the Work Programme during the transition. You can find the ‘normal’ procedure here. This note merges what happened under President Juncker and what’s known about President-elect von der Leyen. I’ll update it at the end of the year.
Speaking to officials who have worked in Cabinets, the truth is each transition is unique. The is no pre-set process. For example, President Juncker laid great stress on deriving his Political agenda form the European Council’s Strategic Agenda. President-elect von der Leyen looks like she is preparing her work programme in conjunction with European Parliament’s Political Groups, rather than carrying out the political will of the European Council.
Windows of Opportunity
The windows of opportunity to advance your interests are always short. In hindsight, those moments are obvious, but at the time, you are just too busy with your face at the coal face to notice the opportunities.
You’ll see from this note that the windows of opportunity to promote your case are clear. The framing at the start in the Political Guidelines, the drafting of the mission letter and work programme are all key. If you miss them, you run the risk of sitting on the political sidelines for the next five years.
I’d planned to have written more about the Services submissions for the ‘next Commission’s agenda’. Much of that work seems to be filed away in a cupboard, in a dark basement, since Martin Selmayr opted for a new career direction.
The transition from one Commission to next
- 23-26 May: European Elections.
- 27 May: Election results.
- 20 June: European Council meet. European Council adopts ‘Strategic Agenda 2019-2024’(20 June).
21 June: EU Leaders fail to agree on new leadership (link). - 27 June: European Parliament negotiations start for the formation of political groups (link).
28-29 June: EU leaders discuss nominations in sidelines of G20, Osaka (link).
30 June – 2 July: Special Summit European Council on nominations
(link). - 1 July: Previous Parliament term ends.
- 2 July: EU Leaders nominate new EU leaders (link).
3 July: Small transition team for the President-elect from Berlin & Commission Services in Charlemagne Building (link) (Commission Decision). Provision of up to five administrators and three assistants.
2 July: European Parliament meets for the first time (link).
3 July Election of the new President, Vice Presidents, size and composition of the Committees (link) (link).
4 July: Election of Questors (link); Election results authorized (election results needs to be confirmed by the competent authorities of the Member States). - 7-10 July: President-elect bi-lateral meetings with Political Groups (link).
10 July: European Parliament Committees elect Chairs and Vice- Chairs (link), Constitutive meetings of Committees (link).
13 July: First Member State nominates a Commissioner-designate (link).
16 July: European Parliament elects European Commission President (link); President-elect adopts Political Guidelines (link).
17 July: President-elect seeks Commissioner nominations from EU leaders. Transition Team prepare 1. President’s Speech for 22 October, 2. Draft College portfolio, 3. Work Programme, 4. Mission Letters, 5. Political dialogue with the groups on the Work programme, 5. Bi-laterals visits with the Member States for nominations. - 22 July: Election of Committee Chairmen, Vice-Chairs (link).
- 26 August: Deadline for the Member States to nominate Commissioners-designate.
- 2 September: President-elect interviews candidates for Commissioner (link).
- 5 September: The Council, by common accord with the President-elect, propose the list of Commissioner-designate list forwarded to European Parliament (link) (decision by written procedure).
- 6 September: Commissioner-designate secondment of one administrator and one assistant to ‘transition Cabinet’ to prepare for the confirmation hearings. Officials can come from outside the Commission or be seconded from the Services.
- 10 September: President-elect presents a new team of Commissioners, allocation of portfolios and supporting services (link).
- 23 September: Last week September/first week October: Hearings of the Commissioners-designate by relevant Parliamentary-Committees (Rules of Procedure Rule 118) (link).
- 17-18 October: European Council meets: adopt decision appointing the European Commission, enabling its entry into office on 1 November 2019.
- 22 October: Vote of investiture European Parliament has to give its consent to the entire College of Commissioners (link).
- 22 October: Speech by President of the Commission to European Parliament (link), President presents Work Programme 2019 (link).
- 23 October: After confirmation, Commissioner recruits Cabinet team. Officials can be brought in from outside the Commission or from the Commission Services.
- 23 October: European Council adopts Decision appointing the European Commission (link).
- October-December: Commission prepares 2020 Work Programme in consultation with the European Parliament and the Member States.
- 31 October: European Council Decision of 17 October appointing the European Commission published in Official Journal (link). The decision enters into force on 1 November.
- 1 November: New Commission takes office (link), President publishes Mission Letters for Commissioners (link), Commission President appoints new Secretary-General; New Cabinets start work.
- 13 December: European Council meets.
- 16 December: Commission adopts Commission Work Programme 2020 (link).