Malta’s EU commissioner Karmenu Vella is unlikely to lose part of his portfolio to Britain’s incoming commissioner, sources have told the Times of Malta.
Politico Europe reported this week that Mr Vella was approached about giving up part of his portfolio to Britain’s nominee to the EU Commission.
Former British Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly requested that Britain’s new nominee be put in charge of environmental policy.
Politico Europe reported that several EU commissioners were approached by a top aide to EU Commission’s president asking if they would be willing to cede part of their portfolio to the incoming British commissioner.
Julian King was nominated to the post following the resignation of Jonathan Hill from the prized portfolio of financial services after the Brexit vote.
We will communicate the decision once it has been taken
Mr Hill’s financial services portfolio was absorbed by commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis.
Contacted, a spokesperson for EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker refused to comment on “rumours” circulating in the press. “We will communicate the decision once it has been taken. I am not in a position to indicate a timing for that.”
Sources in the diplomatic services indicated that Mr Juncker would be “unlikely” to risk upsetting the political balance in the Commission by taking a chunk of the portfolio from a socialist commissioner and giving it to one coming from the EPP political family
The final decision on Mr King’s portfolio lies with Mr Juncker, subject to ratification by the European Parliament.
According to a power matrix compiled by Politico Europe, Mr Vella is one of the poorest performing EU commissioners and his chief of staff compensates for his “weaknesses”.
Mr Juncker was deemed to be the most powerful person in the Commission while Mr Vella was said to be in the weakest position.
Concerns had been raised about his lack of environmental credentials though Mr Vella managed to survive a grilling by MEPs relatively unscathed.
His original chief of staff Patrick Costello resigned last November after having served Mr Vella for less than 10 months.
An architect by profession, Mr Vella was a Labour MP in the Maltese Parliament from 1976 until 2014, when the Prime Minister nominated him to his current post as part of a Cabinet reshuffle sparked by the resignation of former health minister Godfrey Farrugia.
He served as a minister for tourism, industry and public works under various Labour governments between 1981 and 2014.