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Juncker's EU team members get parliamentary approval
Jean-Claude Juncker, the incoming president of the European Commission (EC), presents the list of the European Commissioners and their jobs for the next five years, during a news conference at the EC headquarters in Brussels September 10, 2014. PHOTO BY REUTERS/Yves Herman
21/10/2014
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The incoming EU executive led by Jean-Claude Juncker looks set to take office on schedule next month after lawmakers said committees in the European Parliament had endorsed a final two nominees on Tuesday.
Violeta Bulc, a replacement candidate from Slovenia, was approved as transport commissioner following a confirmation hearing late on Monday. So was Slovak Maros Sefcovic, who has a reshuffled role as vice-president for energy union.
Parliament is due to vote in a plenary session on Wednesday on whether Juncker's 28-strong European Commission should take office on Nov. 1, replacing that of outgoing president Jose Manuel Barroso. Both Juncker's center-right party and the main center-left bloc are set to ensure him a majority now that all the commissioners have been accepted by the relevant committees.
Bulc was nominated by Slovenia after lawmakers rejected former premier Alenka Bratusek as vice-president for energy union. Bulc takes the transport portfolio originally assigned to Sefcovic while he moves into the role intended for Bratusek.
(Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
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