After facing tough scrutiny from several European Parliament committees, Jessika Roswall, the former Swedish EU affairs minister, has successfully been approved as the new environment commissioner. This role includes oversight of key areas such as the environment, water resilience, and the circular economy.
The decisive news arrived late Wednesday afternoon, November 6, following a series of three closed-door discussions among coordinators from various political groups in Brussels.
This final deliberation coincided with a standstill regarding the confirmation of Belgian liberal Hadja Lahbib for the roles of commissioner for preparedness, crisis management, and equality, leading to claims of political backroom deals.
Immediately after Roswall’s public hearing on Tuesday evening, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) publicly supported her candidacy; however, only the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group joined in backing her, causing a postponement of the decision until the following day.
Ultimately, her appointment faced opposition solely from the far-right groups like Patriots of Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations, as well as the Left group positioned on the opposite end of the political landscape. Interestingly, the confirmation of Lahbib was announced almost simultaneously.
In a social media update, Roswall expressed her gratitude, stating she was “grateful and happy about the broad support from the European Parliament’s environment committee.”
While some critics raised concerns regarding her somewhat vague responses during the hearing, green advocacy groups in Brussels largely responded positively to her commitment to uphold vital environmental legislation enacted under the previous von der Leyen Commission.
“It’s encouraging to see a focus on the European Green Deal, including the completion of the Soil Monitoring Law, revising the priority list of water pollutants, and expediting the Water Resilience Strategy,” noted Sergiy Moroz, head of water and biodiversity policy at the European Environmental Bureau.
Moroz also welcomed the emphasis on implementing and enforcing existing regulations like the Water Framework Directive and Nature Restoration Law, yet he cautioned that any plans to streamline EU environmental and chemicals legislation “must not serve as a pretext to dilute these vital protections.”
The Zero Waste Europe campaign group expressed particular concern about Roswall’s portfolio pertaining to the circular economy. They highlighted her remarks on expanding the European market for secondary raw materials, such as recycled plastics. “While scaling up is essential, it cannot compromise quality and must adhere to non-toxic standards,” stated Aline Maigret, head of policy at Zero Waste Europe, also pointing out a concerning lack of commitment to source reduction through material usage regulation.
Political group leaders are set to formally endorse the candidates who have passed their committee hearings on November 21. Provided that further rejections, such as the case of Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi—who was recently asked for more written answers after an unsatisfactory performance—do not derail the process, the new Commission as a whole will require approval from MEPs in a significant plenary vote at the month’s end to officially take office in December.
Photo credit & article inspired by: Euronews
