EU who’s who in Barroso’s commission

José Manuel Barroso's new EU executive represents a political balancing act for a European Commission leading an enlarged Europe.

The new EU team meets for the first time on Friday August 20 for an informal gathering in Brussels.

Barroso is stressing "teamwork" and the quality of his 24-strong commission.

"The team has wide experience in European affairs. It has wide experience on different policy issues," he said.

"This team is balanced: members come from across the political spectrum. There have never before been as many women in the commission."

 Günter Verhuegen – Germany, vice president, current EU enlargement chief becomes ‘Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry’.

Coordinating the work of six other commissioners, Verheugen will merge the existing enterprise brief with a role vetting all EU legislation for its competitive impact.

"I have asked Günter Verheugen... to give the commission a cohesive voice in the competitiveness council [of ministers]. He will be one of the vice-presidents and will chair the group of commissioners for the competitiveness council," said Barroso.

 Neelie Kroes – Netherlands, former transport minister, ‘Commissioner for Competition’.

Kroes may not be a vice-president, and like Mandelson, will work with Verhuegen but her competition job is a key one.

Enforcing Europe’s tough anti-merger and state subsidy rules can involve bruising egos in Paris and Berlin, and Kroes will continue a Netherlands tradition of taking jobs which require neutrality.

 Charlie McCreevy – Ireland, former finance minister takes the sought after post of ‘Commissioner for Internal Market and Services’.

Key to meeting Europe’s economic pledges will be policing the EU’s single market, McCreevy must take on national capitals – France has the worst record – which have failed to enact European legislation.

 Jacques Barrot – France, vice president, ‘Commissioner for Transport’. 

Paris keeps a place at the EU top table. Transport also involves key competition interests for Paris – including EU legal action against Ryanair, a low-cost rival to Air France.

 Breaking up the transport and energy portfolio, Barroso gives Hungary’s László Kovács, a former foreign minister the EU's energy brief.

Kovács must oversee the EU's climate change emissions trading scheme which kicks off in January 2005.

 Peter Mandelson – UK, former Northern Ireland and trade and industry minister, will be ‘Commissioner for Trade’.

Mandelson’s job is an important one with world trade talks at a critical stage but he will be overshadowed by Verhuegen and many of his officials will be swallowed up by a developing EU diplomatic service.

"Peter Mandelson, the new trade commissioner, will be a member of [Verheigen's competition] group because of the importance I attach to the competitiveness of Europe on the global scene," said Barroso.

A keen reformer, Mandelson also faces opposition from France over the pace and scope of an EU shake-up to agriculture subsidies. 

 Rocco Buttiglione – Italy’s former finance minister is a vice president, and ‘Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security’.

The policy area is a growing one with an EU asylum policy and post Madrid security measures beefing up the post’s political clout. A new European constitution will also give Brussels more justice powers.

 Margot Wallström – Sweden, vice president, the current EU environment chief returns as ‘Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy’.

The photogenic and media savvy commissioner will be leading the EU efforts to bridge “euro-apathy” as many European countries prepare for referendums on Europe’s proposed constitution. 

Wallström knows what she up against: the close friend of murdered Swedish foreign minister Anna Lindt helped to lead - and lose - Sweden's euro campaign last year.

"To communicate better on what we do and counter the Euro-apathy which the EU faces, I have created a new role," said Barroso.

"This will mean reaching beyond the EU institutions to the national parliaments and the EU's citizens."

 Siim Kallas – Estonia, currently co-commissioner for economic and monetary affairs, the former prime minister vice president steps into Neil Kinnock’s shoes as ‘Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud’.

The job is a politically charged one since financial scandals triggred the collapse of Jacques Santer’s commission in 1999.

 Olli Rehn – Finland, currently enterprise commissioner to return as ‘Commissioner for Enlargement’.

Rehn must oversee Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia’s bid for EU membership within the lifetime of Barroso’s commission.

The Finn must also handle the delicate issue of Turkey and a December debate over Ankara’s attempt to join the EU.

 Joaquin Almunia – Spain, stays on as ‘Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs’.

Almunia must stand down in 2006 or 2007 triggering a reshuffle as Javier Solana becomes EU foreign ministers and commission vice-president under a new European constitution. 

Each country is allowed only one commissioner in Brussels.

 Benita Ferrero-Waldner – Austria’s former foreign minister arrives in Brussels as ‘Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy’.

This high profile post, previously held by UK commissioner Chris Patten, is downgraded in order to provide a ‘soft landing’ for Solana.

 Danuta Hübner - Poland, currently co-commissioner for trade, ‘Commissioner for Regional Policy’.

 Dalia Grybauskaite - Lithuania, currently co-commissioner for culture, ‘Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget’.

Both Hübner and Grybauskaite's posts will be politically important as Brussels defends proposals for a €28 billion boost to spending between 2007 and 2013.

 Ingrida Udre – Latvia, former speaker of the national parliament, ‘Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union’.

The relatively unknown Green takes a new policy brief as Germany and France push for EU action to stop East European countries undercutting corporation taxes set by Berlin or Paris.

 Mariann Fischer Boel – Denmark, former fisheries minister, ‘Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development’.

 Fischer Boel shares a formerly combined portfolio with Joe Borg. Malta's current co-commissioner for development, returns as ‘Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs’.

 Stavros Dimas – Greece, ‘Commissioner for Environment’.

 Markos Kyprianou – Cyprus, currently co-commissioner for budget, ‘Commissioner for Health and Consumers Protection’.

 Vladimir Spidla – Czech Republic, former prime minister, Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities’.

 Louis Michel – Belgium, former foreign minister, ‘Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid’.

 Janez Potocnik – Slovenia, currently co-commissioner for enlargement, ‘Commissioner for Science and Research’.

 Viviane Reding – Luxembourg, ‘Commissioner for Information Society and Media’.

 Ján Figel – Slovakia, currently co-commissioner for enterprise, ‘Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture, and Multilinguism’.

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