Media Advisory: hearings of the Commissioners-designate
Press Releases
25-10-2024 – 14:46
This note provides information on the confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate, scheduled from 4 – 12 November.
You can check the detailed schedule of the confirmation hearings as well as the answers by the Commissioners-designate to the written questions prepared by the different committees.
Meeting rooms
The hearings will take place in rooms 2Q2 and 4Q2 in the ANTALL building of the European Parliament in Brussels, with two meetings taking place in parallel (up to a maximum of six hearings per day).
The last row in the rooms will be reserved for the media. However, seats cannot be reserved in advance and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Journalists are strongly advised to arrive in good time, as places cannot be guaranteed once the hearing has begun. Those wishing to leave the room before the end of the hearing are also invited to do so quietly via the rear exit.
Media services and webstreaming
Parliament’s press service will publish an EP Today reminder each morning of the hearings taking place that day and a short summary press release after each one.
All hearings are public and can be followed live. You can watch them on Parliament’s webstreaming and on Ebs/EbS+.
Parliament’s Multimedia Centre will provide HD quality videos, high-resolution photos and illustration material in the media topic for all hearings and individually for Commissioners designates.
HD quality videos can be downloaded within 30 minutes of the start of the hearings (live replays) and a selection of high-quality photos will be available for download.
A media work area (Karamanlis passerelle) is available with connectivity for live broadcasting through your own means. All requests for a spot must be addressed to avplanning@europarl.europa.eu.
There will be an area for camera crews and photographers at the back of each room where a live broadcast signal will be available.
Accreditation and access
No special accreditation is necessary during the hearings. Journalists holding an inter-institutional pass or annual pass delivered by the Parliament can enter Parliament’s premises as they always do.
The entrance to the ANTALL building, in which the hearings will take place, will be open until 22.30. Parliament’s main entrance on Rue Wiertz will be open 24/7, as will the parking garage with a number of places reserved for media arriving by car. Please note that parking places need to be reserved in advance via the IZIX app.
The cafeteria in the ANTALL building will be open from 8.00 until 22.30 for refreshments (from Monday 4 November to Wednesday 6 November and on Tuesday 12 November). On Thursday 7 November, the cafeteria will be open from 8.00 to 18.30. The Bar in the SPINELLI building will be open until 00.00 (from Monday 4 November to Wednesday 6 November and on Tuesday 12 November).
For direct access to the hearings, you are advised to use the ANTALL entrance, connecting directly to the relevant meeting rooms. Alternatively, Parliament’s entrance for press/visitors in the SPAAK building will be open throughout the week.
Those who do not have a pass need to request short-term accreditation through Parliament’s registration website, and collect it at the Media accreditation desk, General Accreditation Centre, Altiero Spinelli building, Esplanade Solidarność, 01F035.