EU: The main political groups in the European Parliament – the European People’s Party (EPP), the Socialists & Democrats, and the centrist Renew Europe group – reached an
agreement on the composition of
the next European Commission (EC). This compromise, finalised yesterday (20th November), aims to secure approval of Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed nominees in a vote scheduled for next week. As part of the agreement, Hungarian member of the EPP Olivér Várhelyi was nominated as commissioner for
health and animal welfare. However, the European Parliament requested adjustments to his responsibilities, particularly the removal of oversight for health preparedness and sexual and reproductive health rights, following concerns raised during his parliamentary hearing. His competencies include food and animal welfare, as well as other health-related areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices and tobacco legislation. He is also likely to maintain a conservative stance towards cannabis.