Brussels, 27/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 27 November, José Manuel Barroso gave details of how the new Commission would be composed. Women make up one third of the Commission's numbers and there will be seven vice-presidents. Including the president, 14 members of the new College were already members of the outgoing Commission. José Manuel Barroso repeated as he presented the new team that he had received many requests but that the composition reached is the result of a personal choice on his part, in line with the provisions of the Treaty. Although 13 commissioners continue to be part of the Commission, the portfolios of all of them change. “This was a fundamental decision”, the president explained, saying that, when one stays in the same sector for 10 years, one “falls into a routine” and, in sectors such as competition where one is faced with a vast array of interests, “this is not very good”. This musical chairs of portfolios should give commissioners fresh motivation for five years, making the College truly political. “Extremely proud of this team”, President Barroso answered questions, speaking highly of the competences of Connie Hedegaard, who will hold the far-reaching responsibility across all sectors for following up the Copenhagen climate conference; Dacian Ciolos, the former Romanian agriculture minister who inherits the common agricultural policy (Barroso said the matter that incriminated Ciolos and Romania in this sector was “insulting and contrary to our values”); Joaquín Almunia, “who has done exceptional work over these past years” and Michel Barnier entrusted with consolidating all dimensions of the internal market, especially services, and praised by Barroso for his “great competence and great European conviction”. Barnier himself had put forward the nomination of Jonathan Fall of Britain as the new director general of DG MARKT, Barroso said. The complete list of the new College of Commissioners is as follows:
President: José Manuel Barroso
Secretariat General (including the “better regulation” unit which has hitherto been within DG Enterprise), Legal Service, BEPA, Spokesman's Service.
1st Vice-President: Catherine Ashton
External relations. Ms Ashton will also carry out the duties of high representative of the Union for foreign affairs and security.
2nd Vice-President: Viviane Reding
Justice and fundamental rights. Ms Reding is also responsible for communication and publications. Her services will include Directorates D and E of the current DG JLS (Directorate A will be shared with Ms Malmström), units of DG Employment responsible for equality, counter-discrimination, the agency for fundamental rights, the European institute for gender equality, Eurojust, DG COMM, the publications office, units responsible for marketing law and contracts (DG SANCO) and the citizenship and visitors units (DG Education).
3rd Vice-President: Joaquin Almunia
Competition. The responsibility of state aid under DG TREN is transferred to DG Competition.
4th Vice-President: Siim Kallas
Transport. A new DG Transport has been created to which the sector's agencies are added.
5th Vice-President: Neelie Kroes
Information Society. DG INFSO and ENISA.
6th Vice-President: Antonio Tajani
Industry and entrepreneurship. DG ENTR and the European Agency for Chemical Products. Services will also include aspects of radionavigation by satellite (Galileo) transferred from DG TREN.
7th Vice-President: Maros Šefèoviè
Interinstitutional relations and administration. DG ADMIN.
Ariculture and rural development: Dacian Ciolos
Maritime affairs and fisheries: Maria Damanaki
Development: Andris Piebalgs.
Attached (“In close cooperation with the High Representative/Vice-President in accordance with the treaties”, according to the official wording) to the vice-president responsible for external relations, the new development commissioner will represent the Commission in Foreign Affairs Council now presided by the high representative/vice-president of the Commission.
International cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response: Rumiana Jeleva
Also attached to the vice-president for external relations, the new humanitarian aid commissioner will manage the Community office, ECHO, and civil protection (unit taken from DG Environment).
Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy: Stefan Füle
Also attached to the vice-president for external relations.
External trade: Karel De Gucht
DG Trade and coordination of the Transatlantic Economic Council, from DG Enterprise.
Internal affairs: Cecilia Malmström
Directorates B, C and F from the current DG JLS, as well as Frontex, Europol, CEPOL, SIS II and VIS II, and EMCDDA.
Research, innovation and science: Maire Geoghegan-Quinn
DG Research, Joint Research Centre and other relevant executive agencies.
Regional policy: Johannes Hahn
Economic and monetary affairs: Olli Rehn
DG ECFIN and Eurostat.
Internal market and services: Michel Barnier
DG MARKT and OHIM.
Taxation and customs union, audit and anti-fraud: Algirdas Šemeta
DG TAXUD and OLAF.
Health and consumer policy: John Dalli
In addition to DG SANCO and four agencies (CPVO, ECDC, EFSA, EAHC), the new health commissioner is entrusted with EMEA and medical and cosmetic units taken from DG Enterprise (a reiterated request of the EP) and the unit for biotechnology and pesticides taken from DG Environment.
Climate: Connie Hedegaard
This new portfolio is entrusted to the former Danish environment minister on the basis of a new DG formed from Directorate C (except air quality), and taken from DG Environment.
Environment: Janez Potoènik
The current research commissioner inherits a slimmed down DG Environment (after the loss of the climate directorate and the civil protection and biotechnology units).
Energy: Günter Oettinger
A new DG Energy is created. To this are added the EURATOM and EACI agencies.
Employment, social affairs and inclusion: Laszlo Andor
DG Employment and the Eurofound and EU-OSHA agencies.
Education, culture, multilingualism and youth: Androulla Vassiliou
Three DGS (education, translation and interpretation), five agencies and the MEDIA programme services (from DG INFSO) and the Marie Curie programme (from DG Research).
Budget: Janusz Lewandowski.