On 17 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent letters to each member of the Commission outlining their mandates and responsibilities for the next five years. The President’s letters to all EU Commissioners emphasised improving prosperity, security and democracy in the EU and asked them to visit more regions of the EU more frequently as part of their work.
For public safety professionals, the President’s appointment of Henna Virkkunen (European Peoples Party (EPP), Finland) as Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy is of particular interest. She will hold the Digital and Frontier Technologies Portfolio and is tasked with improving EU digital infrastructure through increased investment and a new Digital Networks Act, improving law enforcement cooperation through AI and new technologies, and developing a cloud policy for public administrations. In the area of space, the President appointed Andrius Kubilius (EPP, Lithuania) as the first-ever Space Commissioner. Kubilius, the former Lithuanian Prime Minister, will be charged with advancing the development and deployment of EU space assets, creating the first EU Space law, and building an EU Space Data Economy.
The appointments of Magnus Brunner (EPP, Austria), Hadja Lahbib (Renew, Belgium), and Olivér Várhelyi (Patriots for Europe, Hungary) are also of interest to public safety professionals.
Lahbib, as the Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, will be responsible for preparing an EU Preparedness Union Strategy for crises inside and outside of Europe, an EU Preparedness Law for high-level coordination and decision-making during crises, and stronger risk education for citizens. Brunner will hold the Internal Affairs and Migration portfolio, with the objective to strengthen European internal security and improve the safety of EU citizens. His responsibilities will include improving the resilience of critical infrastructure and supporting the deployment of the European Critical Communication System for public authorities in charge of security and safety. The work of Várhelyi as Commissioner for Health is less relevant for emergency services, as it focuses in medical devices, medications and preventative health rather than emergency services.
Next steps: While the President of the Commission is responsible for organising the mandate of each member of the Commission, the European Parliament also plays a crucial role. The European Parliament will conduct hearings with all appointed Commissioners in mid-October or early November, and then withhold approval of the College of Commissioners until any Commissioner it opposes is replaced.