Four hearings of Commissioner-designates took place in Strasbourg on Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 January. Along the same line as previous candidates, the four nominees have expressed their commitments to integrate sustainability and the fight against climate change in their respective programmes. Antonio Tajani (Commissioner-designate for Industry and Entrepreneurship) and Maria Damanaki (Commissioner-designate for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) promised to take these dimensions into account and to work in close co-operation with their colleagues at the European Commission, promoting an integrated approach to address these crucial challenges.

 
• During his three-hour hearing on Monday, Antonio Tajani (Commissioner-designate for Industry and Entrepreneurship) outlined his plans for a new industrial policy, which should be focused on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), together with promoting innovation hand in hand with sustainable development. The Commissioner designate advocated the idea of the "green economy in a marriage of convenience with industrial policy to fight climate change". "The green economy is at the heart of the new industrial policy. Europe must become world leader in the field of eco-efficiency, eco-design, technologies, production processes, products and innovation services", he said.

Answering to Patrizia Toia (S&D, IT), who wanted more details on the horizontal approach for European industry, Mr Tajani explained that there is no way back to the practices of past decades. The new approach should be in line with the EU 2020 strategy directed towards a green, low-carbon economy; it should enhance growth, knowledge and innovation, improving European international competitiveness.

Amalia Sartori (EPP, IT) was interested in progress in implementing the REACH legislative package, which is approaching the final phase. Mr Tajani recognised that there are some problems with translating the complex text and ruled out an early revision since the review is still ongoing and is due to be concluded in 2012.

As funds should enable SMEs to restart as green businesses, the Commissioner-designate pledged that he will meet the president of the European Investment Bank in the very near future in order to discuss financing and guarantees, and declared that the access to funds for SMEs remains his top short-term priority.

Coming to the question of European competitiveness which is challenged by mass production from Asian countries with weaker environmental and social standards, the Commissioner-designate said he was certain that the solution lies in a green economy and better quality: "We should strengthen our advantages, find production niches, develop new models and reach a level-playing field with China through mutual agreements." Mr Tajani was also confident that climate change can be good opportunity for innovation, as can be testified in the case of the car industry.

• "The ongoing Common Fisheries Policy reform is vital and will, of course, be a central focus of my work", said Maria Damanaki (Commissioner-designate for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries) in her introductory remarks, stressing the keywords "sustainability", "democratic responsibility for all partners of the sector", "global dimension" and "compliance".
She agreed with Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, SE), about the overcapacity of the fleet. "There is drastic overfishing", she said. To reduce it without striking a blow to fishing communities, resources should be directed to modernisation, e.g. equipping vessels with selective gear that helps to eliminate discards, said Ms Demanaki, adding that to the same end, the system of total allowable catches per Member State and quotas should be reviewed.  However, simply replacing quotas with a system that reduces fishing periods would not  be a solution, said Ms Damanaki, in a reply to Marek Józef Gróbarczyk (ECR, PL). "We need a tailor-made approach to different sea basins and fisheries", she stressed at several points in the hearing.  
Ioannis Tsoukalas (EPP, EL), asked the Commissioner-designate whether she believed that aquaculture and sustainable development are compatible. "According to the scientists, they are, under certain conditions", replied Ms Damanaki, advocating "a coherent and consistent aquaculture policy".