Malta's European Commissioner-designate will be among the first off in the European Parliament's confirmation hearings of commissioners next month, according to a timetable issued on Thursday.

All commissioners-designate are required to face what is known as 'grilling' by MEPs before the parliament votes on the proposed Cabinet as a whole.

Malta's candidate, Glenn Micallef, will face the MEPs in the second of four sessions on the first day of the process on November 4.

An EU source said the early date could be beneficial for Micallef.

"He will have his hearing in a more neutral setting, before ‘the knives are out’ between the rival political groupings," he said.

"Naturally all will depend on the competence Mr Micallef shows on the subjects falling within his assigned portfolio at the hearing."

Micallef, at 35, is the youngest of the commissioners-designate and previously served as the prime minister's chief of staff. His appointment was criticised locally and abroad because of his lack of direct political experience.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who is heading the commission for a second term, has assigned him responsibility for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport.

The European Parliament's hearings continue until November 12.

The European Parliament said on Thursday that the Legal Affairs Committee had given its green light for the confirmation hearings after concluding a process where it looked for any conflicts of interest that the designated commissions may have related to their respective portfolios.  

Declarations of interest submitted by the commissioners-designate will become publicly available before the start of the confirmation hearings.