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North West MEP to tackle new EU chiefs
A North West Euro-MP is to play a leading role in quizzing some of the people seeking Europe's top jobs.
The Prime Ministers of all 27 countries within the European Union have each nominated one person to become a European Commissioner for the next 5 years, but their positions have first to be approved by the European Parliament.
Next week each prospective Commissioner will face a 3 hour grilling before MEPs, who will then decide whether to support them or not.
Liberal Democrat Chris Davies MEP leads Europe's Liberal Democrats on the Environment and Public Health committee, and is also a member of the Fisheries committee.
Said Davies, “The European Commissioners have to give meaning to the decisions taken by the governments of Europe in all the areas where we have agreed that we need to work together. I want to know whether they are up to their jobs.
"Ministers in Britain don't have to pass any scrutiny of this kind when they take on their new roles."
The MEP said that he wanted to hear from the people nominated to work on climate change, environment and fisheries policies what they would do to address problems and develop policies to bring about improvements for the long term.
Davies said: “The questions asked will range from huge issues about the future of the planet to smaller ones like ensuring that we still have fish to put into fish fingers."
On Wednesday 15 January, Davies will take part in the questioning of the prospective Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik (Slovenia).
On Thursday it will be the turn of the man seeking to become the Health Commissioner, John Dalli (Malta), and the following day that of Connie Hedegaard (Denmark) who has been nominated to become Climate Action Commissioner.
The following week Davies will quiz prospective Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki (Greece) on the future of endangered fish stocks in EU waters.
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