Dane expected to get rights agency top job

Danish citizen Morten Kjærum is expected to be appointed the first head of the EU’s new Fundamental Rights Agency, after being interviewed by MEPs and member state representatives on 11 February.

The European Parliament’s political groups were united in concluding that Kjærum was the better qualified of the two candidates put forward by the European Commission. A public question and answer session with Kjærum and fellow applicant Dario Carminati was followed by a short private meeting of the MEPs to discuss their impressions. A key concern, according to one Parliament official, was that Carminati’s professional experience is focused too narrowly on refugee policy. He has served as an official within the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) since 1979. Kjaerum is currently executive director of Denmark’s national institute for human rights, a position he has held since 1991.

Ambassadors from the member states are to discuss the appointment at a meeting today (14 February). They will hear from the ambassadors from Portugal, Slovenia and France who interviewed the candidates on Monday. Indications from diplomatic sources are that member states will back the stance taken by MEPs. The appointment must be formally made by the agency’s management board, probably on 6-7 March.

The gulf between the two candidates in terms of their appropriate experience has further angered Parliament’s justice and civil liberties committee. One source noted that, in practice, "instead of two candidates we only had one". Hans-Gert Pöttering, the president of the Parliament, had already written to Franco Frattini, the European commissioner for justice, freedom and security, prior to the interviews, complaining that he should have put forward more than two names.

It is understood that Italian MEP Marco Cappato will now make a formal request to the Commission for internal documents about the application process. Information requested will include the list of applicants, as well as the criteria for drawing up the shortlist.

Danish citizen Morten Kjærum is expected to be appointed the first head of the EU’s new Fundamental Rights Agency, after being interviewed by MEPs and member state representatives on 11 February.