Source: European Parliament
On 6 November, the confirmation hearing of Commissioner-designate for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi (Hungary) will take place.
The confirmation hearing will be led jointly by the ENVI and AGRI Committees. ITRE Committee and SANT sub-Committee are also invited. The hearing is expected to last three hours from 18.30 to 21.30. As regards the topics in the remit of the ENVI Committee and following his replies to the written questions, the Commissioner-designate is expected to be further questioned on public health, in on the pharmaceutical reform, the access to medicinal products, EU research and competitiveness, and the fight against AMR. The Commissioner designate will also tackle food safety issues, such as the use of pesticides, animal diseases and food labelling, as well as issues related to animal welfare which are also under his portfolio. The confirmation hearing will be the basis for the coordinators of the committees responsible to assess whether the Commissioner-designate is qualified both to be a member of the College of Commissioners and to carry out the specific tasks assigned to him.