Cyprus, and specifically Limassol, is preparing to host the first major visit within the framework of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council this week- the visit of the College of Commissioners, who will travel to Cyprus together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
According to the official schedule of the Cyprus Presidency, the College of Commissioners will be in Cyprus on Thursday, 15 and Friday, 16 January.
The College of Commissioners will meet with members of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, in its capacity as President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, with the aim of strengthening and further deepening cooperation between the two institutions, through high-level meetings and discussions on policy issues of mutual interest.
Based on the current schedule, the visit will begin with a tour along the Green Line, which will include a walking exhibition on the issue of Missing Persons.
The following day, Friday, meetings will be held between the European Commissioners and Ministers/Deputy Ministers of the Republic of Cyprus at the New Port of Limassol, organised into four thematic groups.
At the same time, a bilateral meeting will be held between the President of the European Commission and the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides.
The aforementioned meetings will be followed by a plenary session of the College of Commissioners and a press conference on the results of the visit.
The European Commission is a key partner
In her statements to InBusinessNews regarding the visit of the College of Commissioners, the Spokesperson of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU in Nicosia, Stella Michael, emphasised that this is a very important visit, the first after the official assumption of the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council.
As she explained, "the European Commission is a key partner, both of the European Council and the European Parliament, in terms of promoting various issues."
"It is therefore one of the most basic institutions of the EU and it is for this reason, moreover, that the corresponding European Commissioner participates in each Council of Ministers based on the portfolio being discussed," Michael added.
She continued, "just as we recently coordinated with the European Parliament and the Conference of Presidents that took place in Cyprus, and we saw together with the leadership of the House the cooperation and various issues that arise, so the necessary coordination will also take place with the College of Commissioners."
Asked why the new Limassol Port was chosen to host the meeting, Michael stated that "the Limassol Port was also chosen for symbolic reasons, since it was from there that humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza departed, within the framework of the Amalthea initiative."
At the same time, she concluded, "it also symbolises the fact that Cyprus functions as a port and bridge between the European Union and the wider Mediterranean region."
The College of Commissioners
It is noted that the members of the College of Commissioners come from the 27 countries of the EU. The 27 members of the College of Commissioners are appointed jointly and constitute the political leadership of the Commission during a five-year term, while the President of the European Commission assigns responsibilities for specific policy areas to each Commissioner.
Today, the College of Commissioners is composed of:
- Ursula von der Leyen - President
- Teresa Ribera-Executive Vice President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition
- Henna Virkunen - Executive Vice President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
- Stéphane Séjourné - Executive Vice President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy
- Kaja Kallas - High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President
- Roxana Mînzatu - Executive Vice President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness
- Raffaele Fitto - Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms
- Maroš Šefčovič - Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security and Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency
- Valdis Dombrovskis - Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Enforcement and Simplification
- Dubravka Šuica - Commissioner for the Mediterranean
- Olivér Várhelyi - Commissioner for Animal Health and Welfare
- Wopke Hoekstra - Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth
- Andrius Kubilius - Commissioner for Defence and Space
- Marta Kos - Commissioner for Enlargement
- Jozef Síkela - Commissioner for International Partnerships
- Costas Kadis - Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans (Cyprus)
- Maria Luís Albuquerque - Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union
- Hadja Lahbib - Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management
- Magnus Brunner - Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration
- Jessika Roswall - Commissioner for the Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy
- Piotr Serafin - Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration
- Dan Jørgensen - Commissioner for Energy and Housing
- Ekaterina Zaharieva - Commissioner for Start-ups, Research and Innovation
- Michael McGrath - Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection
- Apostolos Tzitzikostas - Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism
- Christophe Hansen - Commissioner for Agriculture and Food
- Glenn Micallef - Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.
More information about the College of Commissioners and how decisions are made HERE.
(Source: InBusinessNews)
