Hearing of Commissioner-designate Phil Hogan

The International Trade Committee questioned Phil Hogan², candidate for the trade portfolio, on future trade deals and the respect of EU³ values.

Political groups’ coordinators from the committee will meet within 24 hours to assess the performance of Commissioner-designate Hogan.

Trade based on rules and fairness

During his introductory speech, Mr Hogan called trade the “lifeblood of the European economy” that must provide real opportunities to Europeans, but “must also promote values, including climate action, sustainable development, labour rights, and women’s empowerment”. The Irishman spoke in favour of a stable, predictable and rules-based multilateral trading system that focusses on climate action. The reform of the WTO is essential, he added

MEPs put forward questions on the EU-US trade relationship and possible ways ahead given the reluctance of the transatlantic partner to engage and the USA’s willingness to impose tariffs. Several MEPs emphasised Parliament’s demand to see EU trade deals better implemented and trading partners held to account, including in any future trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur countries. Members welcomed the creation of a Chief Trade Enforcement Officer post proposed by Ursula von der Leyen for this purpose.

Members also questioned the Commissioner-designate on his plans to ensure a fair and level playing field in digital commerce as opposed to competing with Chinese state-backed foreign companies. Others asked how he intends to support fair and ethical trade and mandatory due diligence in supply chains to exclude child labour and deforestation.

You can watch the video recording of the full hearing here.

Next steps

Based on the committees’ recommendations, the Conference of Presidents will decide on 17 October if Parliament has received sufficient information to declare the hearing process closed. If so, the plenary will vote on whether or not to elect the Commission as a whole on 23 October, in Strasbourg.

• 1. 

  The European Parliament is the EU's law-making body. It is directly elected by EU voters every 5 years.
  What does the Parliament do?
  The Parliament has 3 main roles:
  Legislative
   
• 2. 

  Phil Hogan (1960) is the European Commissioner for agriculture and rural development in the Juncker Commission on behalf o Ireland. Hogan is a member of the Fine Gael which is aligned with the European People's Party. Prior to hios tenure at Commission Hogan had become a fixture in Irish national politics.
   
• 3. 

  De Europese Unie (EU) is het belangrijkste samenwerkingsverband in Europa. De deelnemende landen hebben voor deze Unie een aantal organisaties opgericht waaraan zij een deel van hun eigen bevoegdheden hebben overgedragen. Dit zijn onder meer het Europees Parlement, de Europese Commissie, de Raad en het Europese Hof van Justitie.