Barroso presenteert beoogde nieuwe Commissie (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Incoming Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso put an end to weeks of speculation on Thursday (12 August) by finally announcing who will be responsible for what in his Commission.

Mr Barroso, who made his announcement a week earlier than had been expected, said his job was made easier by the high quality of candidates proposed by member states.

"I have organised this strong team to ensure we work efficiently and achieve the goals we set ourselves. I attach great importance to team players committed to the European general interest".

Big portfolios to the Netherlands and Ireland

The new line-up contains some surprises with two of the most influential portfolios in the commission going to the Netherlands' Neelie Kroes (competition) and Ireland's Charlie McCreevy (internal market), while France's Jacques Barrot only received the relatively small portfolio of transport.

Peter Mandelson from the UK will be responsible for the important trade portfolio, new member state Latvia (Ingrida Udre) received taxation and Hungary's László Kovács will be in charge of energy.

As expected, the German Günter Verheugen, will be vice-president of the Commission and has been given a new industry portfolio. He will also be in charge of the co-ordination of the Commission's role on competition.

Super commissioner?

Mr Barroso denied that "co-ordinating role" was creating a super Commissioner by the back door although Mr Verheugen will oversee the work of several colleagues and be a permanent representative of the Brussels executive to competition ministers' councils.

Mr Verheugen is not alone as vice-president; he is joined by Italy's Rocco Buttiglione (justice and home affairs), France's Mr Barrot, Estonia's Siim Kallas (administrative affairs) and Sweden's Margot Wallström.

Entirely new portfolios

Mrs Wallström, who is one of the three commissioners left over from the original Romano Prodi, also got a newly created portfolio - she is commissioner for institutional relations and communication.

"I attach particular importance to communication Europe. What Europe does and why it does it must be communicated to people more clearly", said Mr Barroso.

Other changes include the transport and energy unit being split into two; agriculture and fisheries being split into two and a new taxation portfolio.

Looking to the future

Mr Barroso, who as former Portuguese prime minister pushed through some severe austerity packages in his country, pledged to work on Europe's economic reform.

"My first priority is the process of reforming Europe", he said.

He will also personally chair a group of commissioners tasked to look at the so-called Lisbon Agenda - the EU's ambitious but flagging aim to become the most dynamic economy in the world by 2010.

The next step will be for the new Commission to meet informally on 20 August to sound out ideas.

All commissioners-designate must appear before the European Parliament for hearings at the end of the September/beginning of October.

The Brussels assembly then has to approve the Commission as a whole at the end of October before it can take up its work on 1 November.

List of new commissioners and their portfolios

Austria: Benita Ferrero Waldner - External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy

Belgium: Louis Michel - Development and Humanitarian Aid

Cyprus Markos Kyprianou - Health and Consumer Protection

Czech Republic: Vladimir Spidla - Employment and Social Affairs

Denmark: Mariann Fischer Boel - Agriculture

Estonia: Siim Kallas - Administrative Affairs (Vice-president)

Finland: Olli Rehn - Enlargement

France: Jacques Barrot - Transport (Vice-president)

Germany: Günter Verheugen - Industry (Vice-president)

Greece: Stavros Dimas - Environment

Hungary: Laszlo Kovacs - Energy

Ireland: Charlie McCreevy - Internal Market

Italy: Rocco Buttiglione - Justice, Freedom and Security (Vice-president)

Latvia: Ingrida Udre - Taxation and Customs Union

Lithuania: Dalia Grybauskaite - Budget

Luxembourg: Viviane Reding - Information Society

Malta: Joe Borg - Fisheries and Maritime Affairs

The Netherlands: Neelie Kroes - Competition

Poland: Danuta Hübner - Regional Policy

Portugal: José Manuel Durao Barroso - European Commission President

Slovakia: Jan Figel - Education, Training and Culture

Slovenia: Janez Potconik - Science and Research

Spain: Joaquin Almunia - Economic and Monetary Affairs

Sweden: Margot Wallström - Institutional Relations, Communications Strategy (Vice-president)

United Kingdom: Peter Mandelson - Trade