Following the presentation of the designated commissioners by Ursula von der LEYEN for the future College of Commissioners, the candidates were auditioned by the European Parliament from 4th November to 12th to assess their competencies and qualifications.
In this context, Olivier VARHELYI (PfE - Hungary), the designated Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, was auditioned on 6th November by the ENVI and AGRI committees of the European Parliament. During this hearing, he discussed various issues related to health and animal welfare, outlining the following positions:
Measures on Animal Health:
- He is committed to ensuring that the list of antibiotics reserved for human use is regularly updated to reflect scientific advancements.
- He advocates for an increased budget for research on zoonosis vaccines, noting the rise in epizootic outbreaks and emphasizing "the crucial role of emergency veterinarians and the EFSA".
- He considers antimicrobial resistance a top-priority threat and aims to promote the development of new antibiotics produced in Europe, while supporting farmers in this transition.
- In response to veterinary medicine shortages, he intends to reduce administrative burdens to facilitate supply.
Strengthening Animal Welfare:
- He plans to continue the "One Health" approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health
- He defined animal welfare as aiming for better living conditions for farm animals and pets, and he plans a consultation process with European stakeholders on animal welfare standards, based on conclusions from the strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture.
- He prioritizes animal transport issues and calls for enhanced enforcement of current animal welfare legislation to prevent recent incidents of animals being stranded at borders.
- Regarding the balance between animal welfare and competitiveness, he cited the poultry sector as an example of "a sector driving change, with cages becoming obsolete, and we want to see the end of the era of cages". He also proposes a dialogue with stakeholders to phase out cages, emphasizing that he will ensure importers do not exploit these future high European standards.
- Finally, he supports reducing intensive farming and highlights the importance of assisting farmers in this transition.
Christophe HANSEN (Luxembourg), the designated Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, was also auditioned on 4th November by the AGRI committee, with the ENVI and PECH committees also invited to participate in the exchange. During this hearing, the following topics were discussed:
International Trade:
- He intends to work on reciprocity in free trade agreements.
- Regarding MERCOSUR, he defended certain aspects of the agreement without explicitly supporting or opposing it, stating that the complementary protocol under negotiation should be analyzed.
- He stressed the need to monitor the sanitary standards of products entering the European territory through free trade agreements.
Animal Welfare
- Animal transport was mentioned in a question, but the designated commissioner did not respond to it.
- The designated commissioner expressed regret that animal welfare was not discussed in depth during the hearing, noting that farmers support animal welfare and are willing to engage on this topic.
Noted that Christophe HANSEN's hearing was well received, with several MEPs commending his expertise and knowledge of the sector. In contrast, Olivier VARHELYI's hearing was deemed unconvincing, particularly regarding his positions on animal welfare and his connections to Viktor ORBAN. Political group coordinators decided not to confirm his nomination for the time being, and written questions will be sent to him before a possible second hearing. Transferring part of his portfolio (including animal welfare) to Christophe HANSEN is also under consideration.
The confirmation vote for the entire College of Commissioners is expected to take place on 27th November.