Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, HU), Chair of the Justice Committee (JURI), speaks to the press on procedures assessing potential conflict of interests of Commissioners-designate. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Strasbourg

press conference

KYUCHYUK, Ilhan (Renew, BG)

2024 Commissioners' hearings (T)

Press conference by Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, HU), JURI Committee Chair, on procedures assessing potential conflict of interests of Commissioners-designate

'SOUNDBITE (Original), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), JURI Committee Chair, - Thank you so much. And thank you indeed, for your presence and for your interest today. It's about the procedure, as was said in the introductory remarks. We are not going to make political declarations today. But I think it's important to explain the overall procedure just before the JURI committee, and I think is also important that the broader European audience is aware how we want to handle this issue and how we want to keep you informed and engage the European citizens. So processes of the assessment of the existence or not of the potential or actual conflict of interest of the candidates for commissioners will be dealt primarily by by us, JURI committee. And we want to give you a short overview.

'SOUNDBITE (Original), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), JURI Committee Chair, - The completion of the assessment by JURI is an essential precondition in order to start the official hearing of the commissioners. As you are aware, we don't have the clear timetable since we are waiting for the the process to begin. The scope of the assessment done by JURI is defined by Parliament's rules and procedures written in in a what if in a lot of places here in this House, your assessment is based exclusively on the declarations on the interest as submitted by the commissioners designated, and our portfolios and jury assesses if there is on is there if there is a potential or actual conflict of interest with regard to the portfolio only. So what is the role of the of the JURI?

 'To be more precise, JURI role is based on on three elements. First, to check the acetate that there is no conflict of interests. Or if is a conflict identified to find a solution to it and to draw the attention of the committees responsible for individual confirmation hearings that there might be elements concerning and non-financial parts of the declarations of interest that should be looked at the and considered in the overall evaluation of the candidates. We have two elements of this assessment. The first one is financial one and the second one is not financial one. So the financial one is about what the JURI consider as a financial potential financial problem. The committee has autonomy in this case, as described by our rules and procedures. We can ask for additional information, the candidates for the commissioners. We have the possibility to invite candidates to get to give clarifications before the committee.

'SOUNDBITE (Original), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), JURI Committee Chair, - 'It also has the possibility to make recommendations with regard to the Commissioner designate financial interests or portfolio. In specific cases, JURI can take the so-called last resort decision that the commissioner designate is unable. To exercise the functions. Second, the JURI can make a general observation to the lead committee on other than financial interests. There we have no possibility to ask questions or make recommendations, etc.. So here your responsibility is limited to signal the lead committee that we have that we have a problem in both cases, financial interests and other interests. We look only at the declarations of interests submitted and we look at portfolio to decide if on the basis of the declaration we see a potential or actual conflict of interests. Having said that, I want to reiterate that we don't have investigative powers. We look only to the to the portfolios and to the submitted declarations.

'SOUNDBITE (Original), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), JURI Committee Chair, - Last but not least, I want to say that the entire process before jury is confidential and held in camera. It is very important that we respect the full confidentiality of this process to ensure its serenity, objectivity, equality among candidates, and to preserve their personal data in that process to the outcome of jury assessment process will become clear to everyone once the confirmation hearing starts. But before that, I want to ask once again for your patience and the declarations of the interests of all candidates will become public on Parliament's website after Julie completes its process. So in a nutshell, this is the procedural way how the competent committee in this case JURI will act based on code of conduct and also based on rules of procedures.

'SOUNDBITE (Original), Ilhan KYUCHYUK (Renew, BG), JURI Committee Chair, - You are aware, at least most of you working for a long time in the European Parliament or addressing the issues concerning the European Parliament that your committee is strictly professional. We don't play politics. Our aim at this particular phase is that we check potential conflict of interest. The rest goes to the second phase, which is how to deal with the hearings. And for that, we are still waiting for real guidelines which will go first to CC. So conference of the President, the Conference of the Chairs, and then to copy where the heads of parliamentary groups will take the final decision. Thank you.