Euractiv’s Green Brief brings you a roundup of energy and environment news of the week from across Europe.

Mario Draghi’s report on European competitiveness was sharply criticised by far left and far right MEPs in a European Parliamentary debate in Strasbourg on Tuesday (17 September) but received strong backing from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s centrist alliance.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her proposed team of European Commissioners, highlighting significant changes in leadership.

There were no obvious contenders for the role of health commissioner, but the choice of Hungary’s Olivér Varhelyi reflects the role's lower priority among member states. 

The European Commission wants Member states to ban cigarettes, e-cigarettes and heated products tobacco from outdoor areas, according to new recommendations published on Tuesday (17 September).

Stéphane Séjourné was nominated as the French European Commission Executive Vice President (EVP) for prosperity and industrial policy on Tuesday (17 September) following a rather hectic 24 hours.

The 2020s will be a rollercoaster ride in terms of energy and climate legislation in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made clear in the mission letters sent to her commissioner-delegates on Tuesday (17 September).

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) of all political stripes spent much of Tuesday (17 September) briefing journalists on what they think of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal for the next EU executive team.

Centre-right Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his satisfaction with Greece's transport and tourism portfolio allocation in the next Commission. However, the candidate for the role, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, faces a challenging task ahead of his European Parliament's hearing. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen nominated Oliver Várhelyi as Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare on Tuesday (17 September), a move seen by the Hungarian opposition as humiliating and a sign of an increasingly marginalised Hungary.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's proposal for the next College of Commissioners is to split the tech portfolio into a maze-like organogram.

An impeachement procedure brought against French President Emmanuel Macron by the far-left La France insoumise (LFI) was deemed admissible by the bureau of the National Assembly on Tuesday (17 September), by 12 votes to 10.

The EU’s road transport sector faces critical challenges. The IRU's roadmap urges policymakers to enact supportive legislation to ensure the EU's economic and environmental goals are met.

With Teresa Ribera getting what is set to be the highly coveted role of executive vice-presidency for clean, fair and competitive transition in von der Leyen’s newly proposed team, Spain could be on its way to having the most influence it has ever had in Brussels, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez boasted on Tuesday.

The defence commissioner's tasks, revealed on Tuesday (17 September), unsurprisingly suggest that persuading member states to cooperate towards building an EU defence market will take up most of his time.

Jessika Roswall's appointment as European Commissioner for the Environment has been received very positively by the Swedish authorities, but her upcoming confirmation hearing is already shaping up to be tough.

Christophe Hansen, Luxembourg’s nominee for European commissioner, is set to oversee the agriculture and food security portfolio – pending confirmation by the European Parliament – during the 2024-2029 term, Ursula von der Leyen announced to journalists on Tuesday (17 September) in Strasbourg. 

Europe’s new energy and climate Commissioners are leaning more to the centre-right than their predecessors, with key lawmakers expecting more pragmatic policymaking. 

President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday (17 September) that balancing the overarching aims of competitiveness and security with the number of member states wanting their candidate to have an economy-related portfolio heavily influenced how she structured her College of Commissioners.

After a week of wrangling between Brussels and Ljubljana, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen designated Slovenia's Marta Kos for the bloc's coveted enlargement portfolio.