In a secret vote, 331 MEPs voted in favour of Loacker and 282 against; 30 abstained. A member of the Austrian Parliament from 2013 to 2024, Loacker is currently a legal expert and manager at an human resources consulting company.

He received a favourable opinion from the Budgetary Control Committee on 14 July 2026, following a hearing held earlier the same day.

Next steps

The final decision will be taken by member state ministers in the Council of the EU.

Background

As stipulated in the EU Treaty, each member state proposes one candidate to serve on the ECA. The Council of the EU, after consulting the European Parliament, adopts the list of members for a six-year term.