Hoekstra to face 'tough' EU parliamentary hearings

EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who has been nominated again for the role, is expected to face "tough" hearings in the European Parliament, according to a senior European official.

The official told Argus that Hoekstra might have a "slight" advantage, as he underwent parliamentary hearings in 2023 when he took over fellow Dutchman Frans Timmermans' climate portfolio. At the time, Hoekstra was questioned extensively about past work with Shell and on climate issues.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen put forward new commissioner candidates on 17 September, assigning Hoekstra the climate, net-zero, and clean growth portfolio. All candidates will undergo hearings before the EU parliament votes on the new commission line-up.

Hoekstra has said he is "honoured and humbled", but formal appointment depends on how he performs during the hearings before the European Parliament's energy, environment and other committees.

Hoekstra's mandate would include drafting legislation to enshrine a 90pc cut in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040, from 1990 levels, into European law. The commission's 2040 target, revealed in February, referred to a "net GHG emissions reduction of 90pc". Hoekstra last year made a "personal" commitment to defend a "minimum target of at least 90pc" net GHG cuts.

Von der Leyen has tasked Hoekstra with designing climate policies for the post-2030 period and developing an Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act. Other key objectives include channelling investment toward net-zero infrastructure and ensuring revenues from the EU's emissions trading system (ETS) are used "effectively" to drive decarbonisation.

Hoekstra's responsibilities extend to advancing a single market for CO2, boosting carbon removals for hard-to-abate sectors, and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.

Hoekstra would work closely with former Danish climate minister Dan Jorgensen, who is nominated for the energy and housing portfolio, if both are appointed. Jorgensen will be responsible for advancing the Electrification Action Plan for industrial transition and overseeing a roadmap to phase out Russian energy imports. He is tasked with ensuring the "full use" of joint procurement mechanisms, with a mandate to extend the current aggregated demand system from gas to include hydrogen and potentially other commodities.

Supervising both Hoekstra and Jorgensen, in addition to von der Leyen, will be Teresa Ribera, Spain's former climate minister. Ribera has been nominated as executive vice-president for a clean, just and competitive transition.

European Parliament officials expect to receive financial declarations and other procedural documents in the coming days. That will allow parliamentary committees to send written questions to Hoekstra and other nominated commissioners, officially kicking off the hearing process.

By Dafydd ab Iago