FRATTINI FIRST-UP IN EU EXECUTIVE TRIALS

Italy’s new man for the EU’s justice job Franco Frattini and Latvia’s new candidate for Europe’s energy portfolio Andris Piebalgs are first in the hot-seats on Monday.

The pair face MEPs in three-hour evening hearings as new faces in José Manuel Barroso’s reshuffle of his incoming, but delayed, European Commission.

While the European Parliament is expected to back a re-crafted EU executive in a vote on November 18, newly confident MEPs will not give new commissioners-designate an easy ride.

Both Frattini and Piebalgs have had under two weeks to get a grasp of complicated and politically charged policy briefs – and parliamentarians will be on the watch for any weaknesses.

Italy’s foreign minister Frattini's first public outing as EU justice chief will be a grilling from the civil liberties parliament committee that claimed the scalp of his predecessor Rocco Buttiglione.

Then, under pressure on Tuesday morning will be Làszló Kovàcs, moved from energy to taxation after MEPs questioned his abilities, the Hungarian must show a knowledge of a complicated facet of the EU’s internal market.

Frattini is up a second time on the Tuesday too, facing an easier ride from the parliament’s legal affairs committee – which backed Buttiglione the first time around.

Barroso’s new team is expected to take formal office on November 22 but Berlaymont is playing down dates and any idea of taking parliament’s backing for granted.

Support for Barroso on Thursday has already been signalled by parliament’s political leaders but upsets or stand-offs can not be ruled out.

MEPs are flushed with success after precipitating Barroso’s shake-up and the resignation of Buttiglione.

Kovàcs for one will be under fire, and Barroso’s competition chief Neelie Kroes, although backed by the relevant parliament committee, will be attacked by Socialist MEPs for her extensive business past.

After parliament’s vote on November 18 Barroso’s commission must be rubber-stamped by EU governments – a move likely to be taken quickly by written procedure among national officials on Friday, allowing the new administration to take office on Monday November 22.