Cyprus’ EU commissioner ‘to be given environment brief’

Cyprus’ nominee for European Commissioner Costas Kadis is likely to be named commissioner for the Mediterranean and the environment, according to reported leaks published on Friday.

The leaks were published by news website Euronews, which included descriptions of the roles which may be allocated to each of the commissioners nominated by the European Union’s 27 member states.

The plans are not yet complete, with portfolios such as home affairs and the rule of law not yet included but do provide an outline as to what the next commission may look like.

The leaked plans for Kadis’ future brief broadly align with prior statements made by Cyprus’ President Nikos Christodoulides, who had said in July that Cyprus would be “interested” in the role of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean.

Christodoulides said the country “has a lot to offer on shipping and other issues affecting the region”, and thus a Cypriot candidate would be “ideal” for the role.

He added that re-elected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had created the role “after our own urgings”.

Von der Leyen had first floated the idea of a dedicated European Commissioner for the Mediterranean earlier in the summer, telling members of the European Parliament the Mediterranean “should get undivided attention”.

“This is why I will appoint a commissioner for the region and propose a new agenda for the Mediterranean together with [European Union High Representative-elect for Foreign Affairs] Kaja Kallas – because the future of the two Mediterranean shores is one and the same,” she said.

The addition of the environment brief to that of the Mediterranean is part of a reported shakeup of roles in the new commission, with the environment having been linked to the oceans and fisheries brief in the previous commission, held by Lithuanian Virginijus Sinkevicius.

If the report is true, it will be the first time a Cypriot commissioner has held the environment brief.

According to the report, the fisheries brief has now been combined with the equalities brief, which will be delegated to Malta’s Glenn Micallef.

Reports of high-profile roles outside of Cyprus include that the Czech Republic’s Jozef Sikela will be given the energy brief and that France’s Thierry Breton will be given the industry brief.

Meanwhile, the report states that the economy brief will be split between Ireland’s Michael McGrath and Italy’s Raffaele Fitto, with McGrath in charge of finances and Fitto in charge of the recovery fund, and that the green transition will be under the control of Spain’s Teresa Ribera.

Kadis has served in three ministerial posts in his career so far, under two presidents, having served as health minister under late President Tasos Papadopoulos and then as education minister and subsequently agriculture minister under former President Nicos Anastasiades.

He will become the fifth Cypriot European Commissioner, succeeding Stella Kyriakides, who has served as health commissioner since 2019 and will retire when the new commission is formed.

Commissioners do not represent their country at the commission, but rather act in a similar way to cabinet members, speaking on matters related to their portfolio across the EU, and speaking on behalf of the EU and not their country of origin on those matters.