Commissioners asked to give up power to Julian King

Several have been approached about giving part of their portfolio to new British colleague.

Several European commissioners have been asked whether they would be willing to cede parts of their policy portfolios to Britain’s incoming member of the EU executive body, according to senior officials familiar with the ongoing talks.

The sources said Martin Selmayr, chief of staff to President Jean-Claude Juncker, has approached at least three commissioners to discuss what role to give Julian King, who has been nominated to represent the U.K. in the European Commission. Those asked include: Poland’s Elżbieta Bieńkowska, who oversees Commission policies on single market, industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises; Malta’s Karmenu Vella, in charge of environment, maritime affairs and fisheries; and Spain’s Miguel Arias Cañete, whose portfolio covers climate action and energy.

The decision on King’s portfolio is up to Juncker, subject to ratification by the European Parliament. The Commission is expected to announce King’s proposed job description this week. 

King, the U.K. ambassador to France, will take over from Jonathan Hill, who resigned from the Commission shortly after Britain’s vote to leave the EU. But Hill’s financial services portfolio has been reassigned and the new member is expected to be given a much less powerful role. 

In filling the Commission vacancy as one of his last acts as British prime minister, David Cameron requested that King be given the environment portfolio, according to several officials involved in the negotiations. Cameron pushed back hard against the possibility that the U.K. commissioner would not have any specific policy portfolio, senior EU diplomats said.

Arias Cañete’s and Vella’s current portfolios both directly deal with environment issues, while Bieńkowska’s includes transport emissions and the circular economy, which is shared with Vella.

But the decision on what specifically to give King has not been finalized, as other EU capitals have said they would oppose giving the U.K. an environment portfolio with legislative powers. If given the job, King would oversee the Commission’s environment directorate-general for as long as Britain remains in the EU or until the end of the current Commission mandate, whichever comes first.

“Environment doesn’t fly,” said a senior EU diplomat involved in the negotiations. “They are trying various options, so many were approached. To give a portfolio to a British commissioner means taking away something from others.”

The source added: “No one is happy.”

Juncker promised a decision on the U.K. commissioner’s portfolio by the end of July, so that Parliament could approve the choice in September.

The Commission has been tight-lipped about the process. Spokesman Margaritis Schinas said earlier this month that he was “tempted” to exclude the possibility that the U.K. commissioner would not have a portfolio.

A U.K. government spokesperson said: “As a matter for the Commission president, the U.K.’s portfolio will be for Jean-Claude Juncker to decide.”

A Commission spokesperson said Monday that a decision would be announced “by the end of the month.”

Maïa de la Baume contributed to this article.

This article was updated to include additional comment from the European Commission.

Click Here: brisbane lions guernsey 2019