Brussels, 22 August 2023 (dpa/MIA) — Frans Timmermans, the European Union's climate policy chief, formally resigned on Tuesday from the European Commission to run in forthcoming Dutch elections.

The commission announced his resignation the same day Timmermans, as the only nominee, was approved as the lead candidate of the new election alliance between his Labour Party and the Greens.

The two parties decided to run as a joint list for the first time in the Netherlands' early parliamentary elections after the previous centre-right coalition unexpectedly collapsed over asylum policy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen thanked Timmermans for his service and praised his work "towards meeting the EU's objectives to become the first climate neutral continent."

During his almost 10 years in Brussels, the Dutch politician was responsible, among other things, for the Green Deal - the EU's flagship policy to mitigate climate change. He was Dutch foreign minister before going to Brussels in 2014.

Timmermans, 62, said in July he wanted to be the next prime minister of the Netherlands.

Von der Leyen decided to appoint European Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič to takeover Timmerman's Green Deal portfolio, and temporarily his climate action policy responsibilities.

This is until the Dutch government nominates a successor, the commission said in a statement. Von der Leyen asked The Hague to put forward a new candidate of Dutch nationality to fill the vacant post.

Von der Leyen said after Šefčovič's handling of the Northern Ireland Protocol talks with Britain he will be charged with implementing the European Green Deal to drive the bloc's economic growth strategy and fight climate change.