Brussels, 15/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - With six weeks to go until the “Barroso II” Commission comes into being on 1 February 2010 (the EP's confirmation vote is programmed for 26 January), candidate-Commissioners have all appointed their “heads of Cabinet”, which will have a decisive role to play in the definition and management of Commission policies. The list of Commissioners is as follows, followed by their head of Cabinet:
- José Manuel Barroso (president): Johannes Laitenberger (Germany, former spokesperson for the Commission); - Catherine Ashton ( High Representative/ vice president of the Commission): James Morrison (United Kingdom, head of Cabinet for Commissioner Ashton at trade since September 2009); - Karel de Gucht (trade): Marc Vanheukelen (Belgium, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner De Gucht at development); - Joaquín Almunia (competition): Carlos Martinez-Mongay (Spain, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Almunia at economic and monetary affairs); - Michel Barnier (internal market): Olivier Guersent (France, currently working at DG competition, former deputy head of Cabinet for Neelie Kroes, former member of Commissioner Barnier's Cabinet, former adviser to Karel van Miert); - Olli Rehn (economic and monetary affairs): Timo Pesonen (Finland, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Rehn at enlargement); - Günter Oettinger (energy): Michael Köhler (Germany, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Joe Borg at fisheries and maritime affairs); - Andris Piebalgs (development): Christopher Jones (United Kingdom, currently director of DG TREN, former deputy head of Cabinet for Commissioner Piebalgs); - Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (research): John Bell (Ireland, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Kuneva, former member of Irish Commissioner David Byrne's Cabinet); - Cecilia Malmström (home affairs): Maria Åsenius (Sweden, since autumn 2008 has been Secretary of State to minister Malmström to European affairs in Stockholm, former colleague of former EP president, Pat Cox, former deputy head of Cabinet for Rehn); - Janez Potocnik (environment): Kurt Vandenberghe (Belgium, head of Cabinet the Commissioner Potocnik at research under Barroso I); - John Dalli (health and consumer protection): Joanna Darmanin (Malta, former deputy head of Cabinet for Commissioner Joe Borg); - Antonio Tajani (industry): Antonio Preto (Italy, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Tajani at transport); - Connie Hedegaard (climate): Peter Vis (United Kingdom, currently member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Piebalgs at energy); - Neelie Kroes (information Society): Antony Whelan (Ireland, currently the head of Cabinet for Commissioner Kroes at competition, worked at DG competition and in the legal service); - Viviane Reding (and fundamental rights): Martin Selmayr (Germany, former spokesman for Commissioner Reding); - Rumiana Jeleva (international cooperation and humanitarian aid): Jochen Richter (Germany, currently deputy head of Cabinet for Commissioner Orban at multilingualism); - Laszlo Andor (employment and social affairs): Anabela Gago (Portugal, currently deputy head of Cabinet for Commissioner Kovacs at taxation); - Androulla Vassiliou (education, culture, youth and multilingualism): Philippe Brunet (France, currently head of Cabinet Commissioner Vassiliou at health and consumer protection); - Janusz Lewandowski (Budget): Marc Lemaître (Luxembourg, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Samecki and regional policy); - Algirdas Semeta (taxation): Stephen Quest (United Kingdom, currently head of Cabinet for Commissioner Semeta at the budget); - Johannes Hahn (regional policy): Hubert Gambs (Austria, currently member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner at external relations); - Maria Damanaki (fisheries and maritime affairs): Georgios Markopouliotis (Greece, currently head of unit at DG Communications, coordination the Commission's external representations); - Stefan Füle (enlargement): Simon Mordue (United Kingdom, currently head of unit at DG TREN); - Siim Kallas (transport): Hendrik Hololei (Estonia, currently head of Cabinet for vice-president Kallas. promoted to the post of deputy director-general at DG enlargement in June 2009, Mr Hololei is expected to leave the Cabinet to take up this post); - Maroš Šefèoviè (inter-institutional relations and administration): Peter Javorik (Slovakia, member of the Cabinet of former Commissioner Figel); - Dacian Ciolos (agriculture): Georg Haeusler (Germany, head of unit at DG agriculture). (H.B.)