On the third day of the plenary session of the European Parliament, in A press conference will be held in Strasbourg on the topic "Verification of potential conflict of interest of the candidates for members of the Commission", BTA reported. The event will be hosted by the Bulgarian MEP and Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs Ilhan Kyuchuk. He will inform the media about the procedural steps of the verification of declarations of financial interests of the candidates for members of the new EC.
According to the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, the Committee on Legal Affairs is responsible for checking the potential conflict of financial interests of each candidate for a member of the Commission. This procedure is confidential and is a prerequisite for conducting the candidate's hearing in the EP. The Committee on Legal Affairs must confirm in writing the absence of a conflict of interest in order for the candidate to be heard by the relevant parliamentary committee.
Among the topics that will be discussed by the MEPs in the plenary hall today are the consequences of the devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe caused by the storm “Boris” and the EU's preparedness to respond to such disasters, which are becoming more frequent due to climate change. The topic was included on the agenda at the last moment, after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán canceled his speech within the framework of the Hungarian rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, precisely because of the storm “Boris”.
"Due to extreme weather conditions and floods, I am postponing all my international obligations," wrote on the social network "X" the Hungarian Prime Minister. "I will not leave the country until we overcome the worst," he said in a video posted on "Facebook".
The MEPs will also debate the Hungarian national card scheme and its implications for Schengen and the area of freedom, security and justice. The scheme offers selected nationalities a simplified procedure for obtaining work permits with the possibility of family reunification. It lasts for two years and can be renewed for another three years, paving the way for long-term residency.
Initially, the national card was available only to Ukrainian and Serbian citizens. But in July the plan was amended to include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, North Macedonia and Montenegro, as well as Russia and Belarus. The news coincided with the diplomatic consequences of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's controversial visit to Moscow, the world media noted.