I’ve spent the afternoon watching the broadcast of the European Parliament’s hearing where MEPs questioned Commissioner designate Karmenu Vella – and tweeting occasionally. Here's the back story to these hearings.
Mr Vella mellifluous voice poured calm on the proceedings from his opening address – he painted a picture that his merged mandate of environment, maritime and fisheries – a natural marriage of blue growth and green growth. The environment wrapped up in assurances of its importance.
There is no intention, he said, to demote or weaken measures to protect biodiversity – reviewing the crucial laws that underpin the EU’s creditable record on saving nature (especially the Birds and habitats Directives) doesn’t claimed Vella, mean reforming.
Mr Vella is a Maltese politician and he carried into the hearing the burden of Malta’s reputation as a country that pays scant regard to Europe’s nature laws (in particular the Birds Directive). He rose to that challenge and dropped from high level rhetoric, just for a moment, and recounted his own personal experience as the Maltese minister for tourism seeing the harm that the hunters bring to the reputation of his country. On that point he was compelling – it will be fascinating to see how his words are received in Malta.
Beneath the grand sweep of his words he was less convincing. His attempt to explain the complete absence of responsibility for sustainability in the new Commission was weak.
When challenged to fight for the environment he waved the white flag in the face of a growth and deregulation agenda by denying the fight even existed.
More analysis tomorrow – by which stage we will see whether Mr Vella is on course to be confirmed as Commissioner or if MEPs remain to be convinced.
Follow me on twitter.