Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. PARLIAMENT CONSIDERS DELAY OF DEFORESTATION RULES Facing pressure from EU Member States, international trade partners, and industry stakeholders, the European Commission has proposed a one-year delay to the deforestation-free products regulation (EUDR). Originally set to apply as of December 2024, large companies would now have until December 2025 to comply, with small businesses still getting an additional six months. The extension reflects concerns over the readiness of economic stakeholders, many of whom have struggled due to a lack of support and guidance from the Commission. In a heated parliamentary debate on 14 October, conservative and far-right MEPs welcomed the delay as they see the regulation is overly burdensome and called for stronger legal clarity. Conversely, liberal and progressive voices sharply criticized…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. ORBÁN'S SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT SPARKS CONFRONTATION WITH VON DER LEYEN During a tense Parliament plenary session on 9 October, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán outlined his priorities for Hungary's European Presidency which started in July, emphasizing stricter migration controls, energy cost management, and boosting competitiveness. He called for a ceasefire in Ukraine, as a military victory for Kyiv is unattainable in his view. While his rhetoric aimed to position Hungary as a stabilizing force, it drew immediate backlash from a large part of the hemicycle. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen challenged Orbán's stance, sharply criticizing his close relationship with Russia and accusing him of undermining EU solidarity in support of Ukraine. In a display of support, far-right MEPs rallied behind…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEARINGS: LET THE POWER GAMES BEGIN After von der Leyen’s proposal for a new Commission in September, the Parliament has started preparing for the hearings of the future Commissioners, expected to take place from 4 to 12 November in Brussels. The timetable for the three hour hearings was confirmed this week: the portfolio-related written questions will be submitted to the candidates by 10 October, with answers due by 22 October. This will allow MEPs to thoroughly scrutinize the Commissioners' qualifications, and best prepare their questions for the oral exam. The hearings will be a key political moment for the new Parliament, as it will be one of the few moments where MEPs can influence the Commission’s policy agenda of…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs.  GERMANY PUTS DEMANDS ON THE COMMISSION AMID CHAOS AT HOME One would think that German politicians would be too busy with domestic issues to make demands at EU level, given that the extreme-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) for the first time won the regional elections in Thuringia. Yet, the German coalition government made an effort to express discontent when German Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen nominated Italian far-right minister Raffaele Fitto as one of six future European Commission Executive Vice Presidents. At the same time, the German government saw no problem in joining Italy’s for a revision of the CO2 reduction targets for cars, and in requesting a six-month delay of the EU Deforestation regulation.  While Chancellor Scholz’s Sozialdemokratische Partei…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. NEW COLLEGE OF COMMISSIONERS PREPARES FOR THE GRILL A week later than planned, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented her team and their respective portfolios. Von der Leyen designated six Executive Vice-Presidents, four women and two men, potentially to reduce criticism on the lack of gender balance in the full college. The six Vice-President also seem to be more balanced than the overall college in terms of party affiliations, with two Socialists and Democrats, two liberals, one EPP and one European Conservatives and Reformists Vice-President. Due to changes in titles and roles, confusions and questions are bound to arise on the practical arrangements for certain Commissioners-designate. How will Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib, Commissioner-designate for Preparedness and Crisis Management and Equality,…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. VDL ASSEMBLES HER NEW GENDER-IMBALANCED COLLEGE Not everyone relaxed during the annual summer break. Ursula von der Leyen, President-elect of the European Commission, has been busy asking Member States to put forward their candidates so she could assemble the European equivalent of Avengers – the College of Commissioners. Based on the proposed contenders, the incoming Commission is likely to be heavily EPP-  (>10 candidates) and men-biased (17 male Commissioners). The gender imbalance in particular may pose a problematic aspect as under their internal rules, MEPs are required to consider this in their scrutiny process. The Parliament votes on the College as a whole, after grilling each Commissioner-designate in a hearing organised by one or two relevant committees. The timeline for the…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. PARLIAMENT CHOOSES LEADERS FOR FIRST HALF OF THE MANDATE This week’s first plenary of 10th European Parliament revolved around organisational matters, ensuring that the European House of Democracy runs smoothly. Roberta Metsola (EPP, Malta) was re-appointed as President, for a second stint of 2,5 years. She will surround herself with three Vice-Presidents from her own party, five from Socialists and Democrats (S&D), two from Renew and two from European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and one each from the Greens and the Left. Neither of the newly formed far-right parties, Patriots for Europe (PfE) nor Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN), were able to grab the senior positions. However, the “cordon sanitaire” clearly no longer applies to ECR, with 2 Vice-Presidents. New MEPs…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. PARLIAMENT POLITICAL GROUPS PRESENT THEIR WISH LISTS FOR VDL 2.0 Major Parliament groups including the centre-right EPP, the liberal Renew, the left S&D, and even the Greens are discussing their priorities in exchange for supporting the Commission President-designate Ursula von der Leyen, who needs a support of at least 361 MEPs to be re-elected. Despite extreme heat in the south and unusual heavy rain in western Europe, the fight against climate change is no longer as high a priority for the Parliamentary groups as it was in 2019. While S&D, Renew, and the Greens do not want to backtrack on the Green Deal, they all have changed their view on what its continuation should look like. The S&D wants to keep…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. HUNGARY PREPARES FOR PRESIDENCY AMID CONCERNS OVER NATIONALIST AGENDA As we are moving towards the end of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will wrap up on 30 June, Hungary is getting ready to take over. Although the rotating presidency of the Council is meant to position the presiding Member State as an honest broker, there are doubts in Brussels on whether Hungary will be able to ignore its national interests and not push for its populist and nationalist agenda. While Hungarian representatives have repeated that they would not deviate from customary practices, certain signs point at a different story – particularly last week’s reveal of the Presidency’s official slogan: “Make Europe Great Again”, which makes…

Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT URSULA 2.0 After not so shocking election results, the race for the top EU positions now really begins. Officially, Heads of State will meet for a Summit in Brussels at the end of this month to talk about who will be the next Commission President, Council President, Parliament President, and the High Representative for External Affairs. Unofficially, the same Heads of State will meet already next Monday to discuss these key roles over dinner, with some already holding preliminary talks at the current G7 Summit. While President Ursula von der Leyen’s party (EPP) won this year’s elections and she remains a frontrunner, her fate as a second-term Commission President is not set in stone. Concessions will…