(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Brussels, August 02 (QNA) - The European Commission proposed Tuesday to put British future EU commissioner, Julian King, in charge of crafting a European Union response to terrorism and promoting intelligence-sharing.
If confirmed, this would put the British nominee in charge of an important policy area following a spate of terrorist attacks across the European Union, however one in which responsibility lies first and foremost with member states.
King is currently Britain's ambassador to France. He was nominated after Britain's previous EU commissioner, Jonathan Hill, resigned as a consequence of the Brexit vote. Hill's financial services portfolio was handed to commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wrote to King on Tuesday outlining what his main tasks and responsibilities would be, after consulting with the European Parliament and informing British Prime Minister Theresa May.
King must now appear before EU lawmakers, who have a say in his appointment. This process could take up to six weeks, according to a spokeswoman for the bloc's legislature.
Spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the European Commission's decision, saying "security is a vital issue for all Member States and co-operation across the EU can help to better protect us all from the range of threats we face". (QNA)