The two can be a good team / Written answers provide additional clarity / International climate diplomacy and collaboration with industry for economic growth and climate protection must now be a priority / Chemical legislation apparently postponed.

After the hearing of the two candidates and receiving answering of additional questions, the coordinators in the Committee for Environment, Health, and Food Safety of the European Parliament have supported the new Climate Commissioner Hoekstra and the new Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the Green Deal, Maroš Šefčovič, with a two-thirds majority (Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, the liberal RENEW group, and the Greens). The plenary vote will take place tomorrow, Thursday.

The coordinator of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP-Christian Democrats), Peter Liese, welcomed the decision: "It is essential that the European Union is operational ahead of the crucial climate conference in Dubai. While Climate Commissioner Hoekstra convinced us from the start, we are now also ready, after answering the written questions, to support the Executive Vice-President Šefčovič. The two can be a strong team. Hoekstra has the qualification most needed right now - diplomacy. We cannot save the climate alone; other major economies must also lend their support. Šefčovič will be more pragmatic than his predecessor Timmermans and he will place more emphasis on the collaboration with the industry. Regarding the written questions, it's interesting to note that clear commitments exist for the Commission to introduce certain legislations, for instance, on animal protection, but this is not the case for chemical legislation. I expect that the proposal for the so-called REACH regulation will not be presented before the election. In my view, this makes sense as we should now focus on climate protection, competitiveness and jobs and not introduce additional burdens for the industry," said Liese.