David Cameron nominates Sir Julian King as the UK’s EU commissioner
Prime Minister David Cameron has put forward Sir Julian King as the UK's nominee for its EU Commissioner, Downing Street has announced
King, currently the UK's ambassador to France, has been put forward for the role left vacant after Lord Jonathan Hill resigned in the wake of the Brexit vote.
The UK still remains a fully-fledged member of the EU, and therefore has the right to nominate a replacement despite its vote to leave the 28-member bloc.
However, the decision is subject to approval by the European Parliament.
King would likely be the last UK EU Commissioner, but it was agreed by Cameron and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that a replacement should take a place until the UK formally leaves.
A diplomat, King previously served as chief of staff to Lord Peter Mandelson when he was British trade commissioner and has heaps of experience in Brussels.
Hill had held the financial services brief, but that was passed on to Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvia's commissioner.
Politico reports that Cameron is keen for King to take on the environmental brief. It adds that Juncker has told Cameron that the next British member of the Commission cannot have a role directly related to the withdrawal process of the UK from the EU, according to sources.
But it's not quite in the bag yet: he'll have an interview on Monday at 11am.
“The purpose of the interview will be to determine the candidate’s ability to serve as a European Commissioner, particularly in light of Article 17 (3) of the Treaty of the European Union which states that: “The members of the Commission shall be chosen on the ground of their general competence and European commitment from persons whose independence is beyond all doubt,” Juncker's office has said.