Mr McGrath required a two-thirds majority of a voting committee of MEPs to be approved as commissioner. While some nominees have been rejected during this process in the past, Mr McGrath is understood to have been successful and will be officially confirmed on November 21.
The hearing today was the final hurdle in the process of taking on the wide-ranging justice portfolio, which includes responsibility for the protection of data, consumer rights, the ensuring of free and fair elections, media freedom and the tackling of corruption and misinformation.
He is one of more than 20 nominated commissioners to face the three-hour questioning on their portfolios this week, after which representatives of various committees asses whether a candidate is qualified.
Meetings to discuss the hearing between each political grouping took place this afternoon, with Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty saying the former finance minister put in a strong performance and that her committee discussion after the hearing went “very well”.
During the hearing, Mr McGrath said there were “many risks” identified in the lead-up to the recent European elections, including disinformation and the threats posed by AI.
“The fact there was no disruption to the conduct of elections was remarkable,” he said, adding that new proposals on foreign interference, disinformation and manipulation would be among his priorities.
Mr McGrath said the benefits of European membership should be conditional on compliance with the European Charter of Human Rights and pledged to be an “honest broker” in addressing rule-of-law deficiencies in member states.
“I will not hesitate to act when appropriate using the full toolbox of measures at my disposal,” he said, adding that compliance was a “must” to gain access European funds.
The justice portfolio makes Mr McGrath one of the most senior watchdogs on the rule of law in the EU, with his appointment taking place against the backdrop of backsliding on democratic values in Hungary under prime minister Victor Orbán.
Mr McGrath said that “nobody should be under any illusions” that he would not act impartially and in a “strong and forthright way” in the application of the full rule-of-law toolbox.
“If we don’t have a respect for rule of law, everything else falls apart,” he said, adding that there could not be an “a la carte” approach within member states and there would be “no lack of political will” in his part in the application of consequences.
One of his priorities will also be wielding the EU digital rulebook is used to ensure social media influencers are not misleading consumers and children are not manipulated online.
Mr McGrath said he was also dedicated to protecting children against threats posed by the internet, in particular by in-app currencies and gambling simulating features such as lootboxes within video games. He added that such features did have a “long-term impact” and that the role of social influencers in promoting things such as vaping and plastic surgery should be examined.
Mr McGrath said measures would be developed to address the addictive design of many online platforms. Such features include infinite scrolling, autoplay and constant notifications that keep users on the site.
“I understand the business model of Big Tech and these firms, they want to keep people online,” he said.
Ireland’s Independent MEP Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan asked Mr McGrath about the potential infringement proceedings that could take place against Ireland due to an alleged failure to carry out market surveillance on defective products.
Mr McGrath said people had been “devastated by the defective concrete block issue” and that it was important they received “full remediation”.
He said the commission would, on the basis of the evidence and a response from the Government, make a decision on whether a formal infringement proceeding will take place against Ireland.
Mr McGrath committed to introducing the first EU strategy against corruption and a new victims’ rights strategy, adding that he would also work on anti-fraud, cross-border crime and strengthening the European Arrest Warrant.
Mr McGrath said he would also like to look at the issue of dynamic pricing in the event ticket sector, also addressing issues on product safety and consumer protection.
He said increasing digital consumer protection would help increase competitiveness within the single market, which was currently “distorted by the amount of unsafe product coming into the European Union”.
He was applauded by MEPs at the close of the hearing – and following a number of his answers to questions from members, including one on illegal migrants and crime.
“I do not believe that we should seek to be divisive, to set one group in society up against another group,” McGrath said, adding that a crime by one is not more serious that a crime by another “by virtue of their identity or where they come from”.
