What awaits Phil Hogan on Thursday?

Ireland’s commissioner-designate will be questioned for three hours by members of the European Parliament’s agriculture committee. His presentation will begin with an opening statement, followed by questions and answers. The hearing begins at 9am local time (8am Irish time).

Why must Mr Hogan appear before the committee?

Under EU rules all incoming EU Commissioners must be questioned and approved by the European Parliament, a separate wing of the European Union. The European Parliament will then vote on the entire "college" of Commissioners (27 plus Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker) on October 22nd in Strasbourg. The new five-year commission will assume office on November 1st .

How has the committee been preparing?

The Committee, which has 45 full-time and 45 substitute members drawn from MEPs from each member state, met in private last week, while Mr Hogan has many of the committee members over the last few weeks in Brussels.

Three Irish MEPs sit on the committee; Mairead Mc Guinness, Matt Carthy and Luke Ming Flanagan.

Last week Mr Hogan responded to five written questions circulated by the MEP's. His CV is also available on the European Parliament website. The chair of the committee is Polish MEP Czeslaw Siekierski, a member of the European People's Party (EPP) of which Fine Gael and Phil Hogan are members.

When will we know the outcome?

The Committee will meet following tomorrow’s hearing and must finalise its evaluation within 24 hours, though it is not obliged to publish the official outcome of its evaluation immediately.

Will Phil Hogan make it through?

Probably. In 2009 and 2014 the European Parliament rejected one commissioner-designate, but the political shape of the Parliament has changed since then. Since May’s European Elections, the European Parliament’s main political groups, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) have formed an informal coalition, so neither group is likely to oppose a candidate proposed by the other group. Fine Gael are members of the EPP.

Senior Parliament sources last night said that it is possible the Parliament will reject no Commissioner this time.

Overall, the Parliament is happy with how Jean-Claude Juncker has re-structured the incoming European Commission. The success of the Spitzenkandidat - process which saw a pre-selected candidate assume the post of European Commission president - has greatly pleased the Parliament, which was the main advocate of the system. Nonetheless, candidates like Britain's Jonathan Hill, who is not part of one of the two main political groups, may be under pressure.

What should Phil Hogan expect?

The questions are delegated to MEPs according to the size of their political groupings approximately. Mr Hogan is likely to face questions on his understanding of the Common Agricultural Policy, though the fact that the policy was agreed last year, means the questions are unlikely to be as detailed as in previous hearings. MEPs are likely to question Mr Hogan’s on his views on the ongoing EU-US trade negotiations and its implications for European agriculture, as well as the impact of Russian sanctions on European food producers.

Mr Hogan’s involvement with the establishment of Irish Water and alleged intervention in a dispute over Traveller accommodation in Kilkenny, are also expected to be raised, probably by Irish MEP’s Mr Carthy and Mr Ming Flanagan, as well as his recent legal letters to Irish MEP Nessa Childers.

What Commissioners are under the spotlight?

The hearings began on Monday morning and will continue until the middle of next week. The Portuguese, Swedish and German nominees are among those who have already been grilled by MEP’s, while all Commissioners so far have appeared to have been given the green light.

Some of the most high profile Commissioners are appearing today, including Spain's Miguel Arias Canete who has been lambasted by NGO's for his links with business, as well as sexist comments he made in a recent TV debate in Spain. Britain's nominee, Lord Hill, is also appearing this afternoon. He has been given the financial services portfolio by Jean-Claude Juncker, but is likely to be questioned and his own links with business, commitment to the EU given Britain's opposition to many of the key aspects of EU financial services regulation.

Other possible "problem" Commissioners include former Slovenian prime minister Alenka Bratušek, and Hungary's Tibor Navracsics, a close ally of prime minister Victor Orban who has been waging a battle against Brussels over issues surrounding the rule of law.

Media attention on Mr Hogan may be overshadowed by the fact that the hearing of French nominee Pierre Moscovici, who is assuming responsibility for economic and financial affairs, also takes place tomorrow morning.