Change Edition

Nachrichten auf Deutsch
Actualités en français
Informações em português
News in English
EU parliament confirms Luxembourg commissioner
Luxembourg

EU parliament confirms Luxembourg commissioner

18.07.2014 From our online archive
With Viviane Reding officially having taken up her seat in the European Parliament, Martine Reicherts was confirmed to succeed the Luxembourg commissioner earlier this week.
With Viviane Reding officially having taken up her seat in the European Parliament, Martine Reicherts was confirmed to succeed the Luxembourg commissioner earlier this week.
A view of European flags in front of the European Commission headquarters at the Berlaymont Building in Brussels, during the federal, regional and European elections in Belgium, on May 25, 2014. Twenty one European Union member states headed to the polls today on the fourth and final day of voting for the European Parliament which began in Britain and the Netherlands on May 22. AFP PHOTO / BELGA / SISKA GREMMELPREZ ***BELGIUM OUT***

(CS) With Viviane Reding officially having taken up her seat in the European Parliament, Martine Reicherts was confirmed to succeed the Luxembourg commissioner earlier this week.

The European Parliament elected Reicherts on July 16 to follow in the footsteps of Reding as the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. The LSAP deputy was proposed by the Luxembourg government, having worked under previous Commission president Jacques Santer.

In a statement published Thursday, Reicherts said: “it is an honour to be the Luxembourger who will succeed Viviane Reding,” adding that she is “firmly committed to working with diligence, transparency and collegiality to safeguard the European fundamental values and the rights of EU citizens.”

Praising the achievements of EU justice policy, such as the Charter of Fundamental Rights, progress on data protection and measures to improve the single market, Reicherts said: “Much has been achieved, but more needs to be done.”

European policy needs to bring tangible benefits for European citizens, she explained, adding that she is “ready to put all my energy” into protecting and defending fundamental rights and values.

Reicherts will replace Reding as a caretaker commissioner until newly elected Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker's European Commission is in place, which is expected for November.

Once the new Commission with Juncker at its head takes up office there will be no other Luxembourg commissioner, as each country has only one representative in the college.

Finland, Poland and Italy also had to replace their commissioners for the intermediary period, with their representatives taking seats in the European Parliament.