Members of the new EU Commission were announced on 17 September 2024. Hungarian Olivér Várhelyi is the new Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare. He served as European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement in the first von der Leyen Commission, and he previously covered various roles in the EU institutions. According to the Mission Letter, the mandate should focus on completing the EU Health Union. Among key priorities are the diversification of supply chains, strategic inventories and competitiveness. The finalisation of the review of the pharmaceutical legislation and the proposal of a Critical Medicines Act and a new European Biotech Act are among the announced lines of action.
Bulgarian Ekaterina Zaharieva is the new Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation. She is member of the Bulgarian Parliament, and served as Minister of Justice (2015-2017), and as Deputy Prime Minister for Judicial Reform and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017-2021). Among the main goals highlighted in the Mission Letter are the expansion of the European Innovation Council and the European Research Council, and the proposal of a European Research Area Act to support the free movement of researchers, scientific knowledge and technology. A European Innovation Act should support the simplification of the regulatory framework and access to venture capitals. Commissioner Zaharieva should also collaborate, among others, to the preparation of the new multi-disciplinary Strategy for European Life Sciences.
The French Stéphane Séjourné is the new Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy. He served as Political adviser to the French President (2017-2019), and as Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (2024). His portfolio includes also Industry, SME and Single Market. Among main goals is the setting up of a Competitiveness Coordination Tool and the development of the Clean Industrial Deal (in collaboration with the Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, the Dutch Wopke Hoekstra). Among expected actions are the proposals of a Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act and the implementation of the Net Zero Industry Act, as well as the development of the future European Competitiveness Fund and the revision of the Public Procurement Directives. An EU Critical Raw Material Platform to support joint purchasing and management of strategic stockpiles is also planned.