Lawmakers withhold green light for new EU green policy chiefs

Former Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra, nominee for the European Union's next head of climate change policy, and Maros Sefcovic, the EU Commissioner in line to take over coordination of green policies, each failed to win approval from the committee during hours-long hearings. Lawmakers have asked both candidates to answer extra questions by Wednesday morning, and will then reconsider whether to approve their new roles, French lawmaker Pascal Canfin, who chairs the committee, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The European Parliament's environment committee on Tuesday declined to accept the two nominees to lead Europe's climate agenda, demanding more details on how they would take forward green policies. Former Dutch foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra, nominee for the European Union's next head of climate change policy, and Maros Sefcovic, the EU Commissioner in line to take over coordination of green policies, each failed to win approval from the committee during hours-long hearings.

Lawmakers have asked both candidates to answer extra questions by Wednesday morning, and will then reconsider whether to approve their new roles, French lawmaker Pascal Canfin, who chairs the committee, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Some lawmakers complained Hoekstra and Sefcovic were too vague in explaining how they would deliver new EU green measures.

The shake-up in Europe's green leadership - prompted by former EU climate chief Frans Timmermans stepping down in August - comes as climate policies face mounting pushback from politicians warning of the upfront costs of shifting away from planet-heating fossil fuels. But Sefcovic and Hoekstra also need backing from green and left-leaning lawmakers demanding urgent action to tackle the CO2 emissions fuelling extreme weather across Europe.

Both candidates vowed not to weaken Europe's climate agenda although, if approved, they would hold their roles for less than a year until after EU elections in June, limiting the amount they can realistically get done. Hoekstra said he would to try to ensure the EU sets a new goal to slash its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2040.

He pledged to cull fossil fuel subsidies from the next EU budget, and push at the UN's COP28 summit in November for a global deal to phase out CO2-emitting fossil fuels. Meanwhile, Sefcovic said he would try to close deals on a raft of EU green measures currently being negotiated, including a fiercely contested EU law to restore damaged environments.

He declined to confirm when Brussels will move ahead with some promised green measures, including rules on harmful chemicals, raising concerns among some officials that they may be shelved. "We are not convinced," German lawmaker Peter Liese said after Sefcovic's hearing on Tuesday.

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