STRASBOURG / BRUSSELS - The European Parliament on Thursday approved Germany's Ursula von der Leyen's bid for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's most powerful body.

Von der Leyen garnered 401 votes in the 720-seat chamber, exceeding the majority required to maintain her position as the head of the EU's executive body. In the secret ballot, 284 members voted against her.

The Greens' decision to join the informal alliance of parties that supports von der Leyen ensured her margin of victory was fairly comfortable. She needed 361 votes to secure a majority in the chamber.

Her own coalition of the center-right, center-left and liberals has 401 seats, but some of its members were expected to vote against her in the secret vote.

Von der Leyen's re-election provides continuity in the European Union's key institution at a time of external and internal challenges - including mounting support for far-right and eurosceptic political parties in the 27-nation bloc.

In the coming weeks, she will propose her team of commissioners, who will face individual hearings from lawmakers before a final vote on the whole Commission later in the year.

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Von der Leyen vowed earlier on Thursday to not weaken Europe's efforts to tackle climate change.

In a document setting out her plans for another term, von der Leyen committed to propose new climate policies, including a legally-binding European Union target to cut emissions 90 percent by 2040.

"We must and will stay the course on the goals set out in the European Green Deal," the document said, referring to the package of climate policies that von der Leyen made the core mission of her first five-years in office.

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The EU Commission would continue with the EU's existing CO2-cutting policies, and propose new measures to help European industries stay competitive while they invest in curbing emissions - a "clean industrial deal" that von der Leyen pledged to deliver within her first 100 days in office.

Von der Leyen indicated she plans to maintain a contentious EU policy to ban sales of new CO2-emitting cars by 2035 - a target the document said "creates predictability for investors and manufacturers".

However, it said an upcoming review of the policy would be used to confirm that cars running on e-fuels can count towards the goal.

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European People's Party lawmakers had demanded assurances on these fuels, which some manufacturers want to grow a market for, because they can be used in conventional combustion engine cars.

She also promised a plan to help countries adapt to worsening climate change, which is unleashing severe drought and deadly wildfires in EU countries including Spain and Greece.