Journalisten geven rapportcijfers aan eurocommissarissen (en)

Pascal Lamy, French trade commissioner, has topped a ranking list of the 20 European commissioners drawn up by influential Brussels journalists.

Despite the failure of the WTO trade talks in Cancun, Mr Lamy heads the list - compiled by French business weekly L'Expansion - for the second consecutive year. One anoynmous journalist wrote that Mr Lamy is "the best, as ever".

Mr Lamy is joined on the "podium" by Mr Fischler (Agriculture) and Mr Verheugen (Enlargement). The former is seen as having worked miracles in pushing through reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the latter has presided over a successful enlargement process for the 10 new Member States.

Moving to the other end of the spectrum, the worst commissioner, in the view of the journalists asked, is Danish commissioner Poul Nielson (Development). One journalist when asked to comment, wrote, "? ?". Another wrote, "Get him on a plane to Denmark".

Also at the wrong end of the list is Commission President Romano Prodi - at 16th. "Sincere and catastrophic", wrote one member of the press.

Michaele Schreyer (Budget) and Neil Kinnock (Vice-President) also fare poorly, at 17th and 15th respectively.

Another commissioner in the news recently, Pedro Solbes (Economic and monetary affairs) came in 10th, with the comment summing up his unenviable position - "Eurostat and the Stability Pact. The poor guy"!

L'Expansion received replies from 41 journalists from papers such as the Financial Times, El Pais, La Tribune and Der Spiegel.

The Expansion list in full

• 1. 

  Pascal Lamy (France) - Trade

• 2. 

  Franz Fischler (Austria) - Agriculture

• 3. 

  Gunter Verheugen (Germany) - Enlargement

• 4. 

  Antonio Vitorino (Portugal) - Justice and internal affairs

• 5. 

  Loyola de Palacio (Spain) - Vice-President, transport and energy

• 6. 

  Mario Monti (Italy) - Competition

• 7. 

  Michel Barnier (France) - Regional policy and reform of the institutions

• 8. 

  Chris Patten (UK) - Foreign affairs

• 9. 

  Frits Bolkestein (Netherlands) - Internal market

• 10. 

  Pedro Solbes (Spain) - Economic affairs

• 11. 

  David Bryne (Ireland) - Health and consumer affairs

• 12. 

  Margot Wallström (Sweden) - Environment

• 13. 

  Anna Diamantopoulou (Greece) - Employment and Social Affairs

• 14. 

  Erkki Liikanen (Finland) - Enterprise and the Information Society

• 15. 

  Neil Kinnock (UK) - Vice President and administrative reform

• 16. 

  Romano Prodi (Italy) - President

• 17. 

  Michaele Schreyer (Germany) - Budget

• 18. 

  Viviane Reding (Luxembourg) - Education and culture

• 19. 

  Philippe Busquin (Belgium) - Research

• 20. 

  Poul Nielson (Denmark) - Development