List of European Commissioners by nationality

Contents

A European Commissioner is a member of the European Commission. Each Commissioner within the college holds a specific portfolio and are led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent of national ministers. Each European Union member state has the right to a single commissioner (prior to 2004, the four largest states were granted two) and appoints them in consultation with the President.

The accession of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007 raised the number of commissioners from 25 to 27. Below is a list of all past and present European Commissioners according to the member-state they were nominated by, including the Presidents of the European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Community. The colours indicate their political background (blue for conservative or centre-right, mainly European People's Party, red for left-wing or social democrats, mainly the Party of European Socialists, yellow for centrist or liberals, mainly European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party, and green for green politicians, mainly the European Green Party).

Austria

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Johannes Hahn Regional Policy Barroso II ÖVP
Benita Ferrero-Waldner External Relations & European Neighbourhood Policy Barroso I ÖVP
Franz Fischler Agriculture & Rural Development (& Fisheries) Santer & Marín & Prodi ÖVP

Belgium

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Karel De Gucht Development & Humanitarian Aid
Trade		 Barroso I & II[1] VLD
Louis Michel Development & Humanitarian Aid Prodi[2] & Barroso I[3] MR
Philippe Busquin Research Prodi[4] PS
Karel Van Miert Transport / Competition (Vice-President) Delors II / Delors III & Santer & Marín SP
Willy De Clercq External Relations & Trade Delors I PVV
Étienne Davignon Internal Market, Customs Union, Industrial Affairs / Industrial Affairs & Energy Jenkins / Thorn none
Henri François Simonet Tax & Energy (Vice-President) Ortoli PS
Albert Coppé Social Affairs, Transport & Budget Malfatti & Mansholt CVP
Jean Rey External Relations / President Hallstein I & Hallstein II / Rey PRL
European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Community Presidents
President Commission Dates Party
Paul Finet European Coal and Steel Community 1958–1959 unknown

Bulgaria

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Kristalina Georgieva International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Barroso II GERB
Meglena Kuneva Consumer Protection Barroso I[5] NDSV[6]

Cyprus

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Androulla Vasiliou Health
Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth		 Barroso I & II United Democrats
Markos Kyprianou Budget / Health Prodi / Barroso Democratic

Czech Republic

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Štefan Füle Enlargement and ENP Barroso II ČSSD
Vladimír Špidla Employment, Social Affairs, & Equal Opportunities Barroso I ČSSD
Pavel Telička Health & Consumer Protection Prodi none

Denmark

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Connie Hedegaard Climate Action Barroso II Conservatives
Mariann Fischer Boel Agriculture & Rural Development Barroso I Venstre
Poul Nielson Development & Humanitarian Aid Prodi[7] SD
Ritt Bjerregaard Environment Santer & Marín SD
Henning Christophersen Economic and financial affairs (Vice-President)[8] Delors I & Delors II & Delors II Venstre
Poul Dalsager Agriculture Thorn SD
Finn Olav Gundelach Internal Market, Customs Union/Agriculture and Fisheries (Vice-President) Ortoli / Jenkins & Thorn[9] none

Estonia

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Siim Kallas Economic & Monetary Affairs / Administrative Affairs, Audit, & Anti-Fraud (Vice-President)
Transport (Vice President)		 Prodi / Barroso I & II ERP

Finland

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Olli Rehn Enlargement]]
Financial and Monetary Affairs		 Prodi[10] / Barroso I & II Centre
Erkki Liikanen Commissioner for Budget, Personnel & Administration / Enterprise & Information Society[7] Santer & Marín / Prodi[11] SDP

France

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Michel Barnier (second term, see below) Internal Market and Services (Vice-President) / Justice, Freedom, & Security (Vice-President) Barroso II UMP
Jacques Barrot Transport (Vice-President) / Justice, Freedom, & Security (Vice-President) Prodi[12] & Barroso I / Barroso I UMP
Pascal Lamy Trade Prodi[13] Socialist
Michel Barnier Regional Policy Prodi UMP
Yves-Thibault de Silguy Economic & Financial Affairs Santer & Marín unknown
Édith Cresson Research, Science & Technology Santer[14] PS
Christiane Scrivener Taxes, Revenue Harmonization and Consumer Policies Delors II & III Rep.
Jacques Delors President Delors (all) PS
Edgard Pisani Development Thorn[15] unknown
François-Xavier Ortoli President / Economic & Financial Affairs (Vice-President) Ortoli / Jenkins & Thorn Gaullist
Claude Cheysson Development / Mediterranean policy and North-South relations Ortoli & Jenkins & Thorn[16] / Delors I PS
Jean-François Deniau Foreign Relations and Development aid Malfatti & Mansholt & Ortoli UDF
Raymond Barre Economic & Financial Affairs Rey & Malfatti & Mansholt UDF
Henri Rochereau Development Assistance Rey unknown
Robert Lemaignen Overseas Development Hallstein II unknown
Robert Marjolin Economic & Financial Affairs (Vice-President) Hallstein I & Hallstein II SFOI
Robert Lemaignen Overseas Development Hallstein I unknown
European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Community Presidents
President Commission Dates Party
Jean Monnet European Coal and Steel Community 1952–1955 unknown
René Mayer European Coal and Steel Community 1955–1958 Radical
Louis Armand European Atomic Energy Community 1952–1955 unknown
Étienne Hirsch European Atomic Energy Community 1959–1962 unknown
Pierre Chatenet European Atomic Energy Community 1962–1967 unknown

Germany

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Günther Oettinger Energy Barroso II CDU
Günter Verheugen Enlargement[7] / Enterprise & Industry (Vice-President) Prodi / Barroso I SPD
Michaele Schreyer Budget Prodi Greens
Monika Wulf-Mathies Regional Policy Santer & Marín SPD
Peter Schmidhuber Budget Delors II & Delors III CSU
Martin Bangemann Internal market and industrial affairs (Vice-President[17]) / Industrial affairs, Information & Telecommunications Technologies Delors II * |Delors III / Santer & Marín FDP
Alois Pfeiffer Economic Affairs, Employment & Eurostat Delors I SPD
Karl-Heinz Narjes Internal market, industrial innovation, customs union, environment, consumer protection and nuclear safety / Industry, data processing, science and research (Vice-President) Thorn / Delors I CDU
Guido Brunner Energy, Research, Science Jenkins FDP
Ralf Dahrendorf External Relations & Trade / Research, Science, Education Malfatti & Mansholt / Ortoli FDP
Fritz Hellwig Distribution of Information, Joint Research Center, Research and Technology Rey CDU
Wilhelm Haferkamp Energy (Vice-President) / Internal Market and Energy (Vice-President) / Economic & Financial Affairs / External Relations (Vice-President) Rey / Malfatti & Mansholt / Ortoli / Jenkins & Thorn SPD
Walter Hallstein President Hallstein I & Hallstein II CDU
Hans von der Groeben Competition / Internal Market and Regional Policy Hallstein I & Hallstein II / Rey none (CDU Advisor)

Greece

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Maria Damanaki Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Barroso II PASOK
Stavros Dimas Employment and Social Affairs / Environment Prodi[18] / Barroso I ND
Anna Diamantopoulou Employment and Social Affairs Prodi[19] PASOK
Christos Papoutsis Energy & Tourism Santer & Marín PASOK
Ioannis Paleokrassas Environment Delors III ND
Vasso Papandréou Employment, industrial relations and social affairs Delors II PASOK
Grigoris Varfis Relations with the European Parliament and regional policy Delors I PASOK
Giorgios Contogeorgis Transport; fisheries; coordination of questions related to tourism Thorn ND

Hungary

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
László Andor Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Barroso II MSZP
László Kovács Taxation & Customs Union Barroso I MSZP
Péter Balázs Regional Policy Prodi none

Ireland

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn Research, Innovation & Science Barroso II Fianna Fáil
Charlie McCreevy Internal Market & Services Barroso I Fianna Fáil
David Byrne Health & Consumer Protection Prodi[7] Fianna Fáil
Pádraig Flynn Commissioner for Employment & Social Affairs Delors III & Santer & Marín Fianna Fáil
Ray MacSharry Agriculture Delors II Fianna Fáil
Peter Sutherland Social affairs, Competition Delors I Fine Gael
Michael O'Kennedy Commissioner for Personnel, Administration and the Statistics Office Thorn[20] Fianna Fáil
Richard Burke Taxation, Consumer Affairs, Transport / Delegate of the President, Personnel and Administration, Statistical Office; Office for Official Publications Jenkins / Thorn[21] Fine Gael
Patrick Hillery Social Affairs (Vice-President) Ortoli[22] Fianna Fáil

Italy

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Antonio Tajani Transport
Industry and Entrepreneurship (Vice President)		 Barroso I & II The People of Freedom
Franco Frattini Justice, Freedom, & Security Barroso Forza Italia
Romano Prodi President Prodi Olive Tree
Emma Bonino Consumers Policy & Consumer Health Protection Santer & Marín Transnational Radical Party
Mario Monti Internal Market / Competition Santer & Marín / Prodi unknown
Antonio Ruberti Science, research, technological development and education (Vice-President) Delors III PSI
Raniero Vanni d'Archirafi Institutional Reform Delors III unknown
Filippo Maria Pandolfi Science, research and development Delors II DC
Carlo Ripa di Meana Institutional reforms, information policy, culture and tourism / Personnel, administration and translation Delors I / Delors II PSI
Lorenzo Natali Enlargement, Environment, Nuclear Safety / Mediterranean policy, enlargement and information / Enlargement, Cooperation and development affairs Jenkins / Thorn / Delors I DC
Antonio Giolitti Regional Policy / Regional policy and coordination of Community funds Jenkins / Thorn PSI
Carlo Scarascia-Mugnozza Agriculture / Parliamentary Affairs, Environmental Policy and Transport (Vice-President) Mansholt & Ortoli unknown
Altiero Spinelli Industrial Affairs & Trade / Industrial Affairs & Research Malfatti / Mansholt & Ortoli unknown
Franco Maria Malfatti President Malfatti DC
Edoardo Martino Foreign relations Rey unknown
Guido Colonna di Paliano Internal Market / Industrial Affairs Hallstein II / Rey[23] unknown
Lionello Levi Sandri Social Affairs (Vice-President)[24] Hallstein I[25] & Hallstein II & Rey PSI
Giuseppe Caron Internal Market Hallstein I & Hallstein II[26] DC
Giuseppe Petrilli Social Affairs Hallstein I[27] DC
Piero Malvestiti Internal Market (Vice-President) Hallstein I[28] DC
European Coal and Steel Community and European Atomic Energy Community Presidents
President Commission Dates Party
Piero Malvestiti European Coal and Steel Community 1959–1963 DC
Rinaldo Del Bo European Coal and Steel Community 1963–1967 unknown

Latvia

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Andris Piebalgs European Commissioner for Development Barroso I & II Latvian Way
Sandra Kalniete Agriculture, Rural Development & Fisheries Prodi LTF

Lithuania

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Algirdas Šemeta Financial Programming & the Budget / Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Barroso I & II none
Dalia Grybauskaitė Education and Culture / Financial Programming & the Budget Prodi / Barroso I none

Luxembourg

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Viviane Reding Education and Culture[29] / Information Society & Media / Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Prodi / Barroso I & II CSV
Jacques Santer President[30] Santer CSV
René Steichen Agriculture Delors III CSV
Jean Dondelinger Audiovisual and cultural affairs Delors II none
Nicolas Mosar Energy and Euratom Delors I CSV
Gaston Thorn President Thorn DP
Raymond Vouel Competition Jenkins LSAP
Albert Borschette Competition & Regional Policy Malfatti & Mansholt & Ortoli none
Victor Bodson Transport Rey LSAP
Lambert Schaus Transport Hallstein I[31] & Hallstein II CSV
Michel Rasquin Transport Hallstein I[32] LSAP

Malta

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
John Dalli Health and Consumer Policy Barroso II Nationalist
Joe Borg Development & Humanitarian Aid / Fisheries & Maritime Affairs Prodi / Barroso I Nationalist

Netherlands

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Neelie Kroes Competition / Digital Agenda (Vice President) Barroso I / Barroso II VVD
Frits Bolkestein Internal Market, Taxation and Customs Union Prodi VVD
Hans van den Broek External Relations and Enlargement / Relations with Central & Eastern Europe Delors III / Santer & Marín CDA
Frans Andriessen Relations with the European Parliament and competition / Agriculture / External Relations & Trade Thorn / Delors I / Delors II KVP
Henk Vredeling Employment and Social Affairs (Vice-President) Jenkins PvdA
Pierre Lardinois Agriculture Ortoli KVP
Maan Sassen Competition Rey KVP
Sicco Mansholt Agriculture (Vice-President) / President Hallstein I & Hallstein II & Malfatti / Mansholt PvdA

Poland

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Danuta Hübner Trade (2004) / Regional Policy (2004-09) Prodi / Barroso I none[33]
Paweł Samecki Regional Policy (2009-2010) Barroso none[34]
Janusz Lewandowski Financial Programming and Budget (2010-) Barroso II CV

Portugal

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
José Manuel Barroso President Barroso I & II PSD
António Vitorino Justice and Home Affairs Prodi PS
João de Deus Pinheiro Relations with Parliament and Member States / Relations with African, Caribbean & Pacific countries Delors III / Santer & Marín PSD
António Cardoso e Cunha Personnel, administration and translation Delors I & Delors II PSD

Romania

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Dacian Cioloş Agriculture and Rural Development Barroso II none[35]
Leonard Orban Multilingualism Barroso I[36] none[37]

Slovakia

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Maroš Šefčovič Education, Training & Culture / Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration Barroso I & II none
Ján Figeľ Enterprise & Information Society / Education, Training & Culture Prodi / Barroso I KDH

Slovenia

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Janez Potočnik Enlargement / Science & Research / Environment Prodi / Barroso I & II none

Spain

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Joaquín Almunia Economic & Financial Affairs[38] / Competition (Vice President) Prodi[39] & Barroso I & II PSOE
Pedro Solbes Economic & Monetary Affairs Prodi[40] PSOE
Loyola de Palacio Relations with the Parliament, Transport & Energy (Vice-President) Prodi PP
Marcelino Oreja Transportation, Energy and the Supply Agency for Euratom[41] / Relations with the European Parliament, Culture and Audiovisual Policy Delors III / Santer & Marín PP
Abel Matutes Mediterranean policy / Transportation, Energy and the Supply Agency for Euratom[42] Delors I & Delors II / Delors III PP
Manuel Marin Cooperation and development (Vice-President)[43] / Relations with the Southern Mediterranean, Latin America & the Middle East (Vice-President) / President Delors I & Delors II & Delors III / Santer & Marín PSOE

Sweden

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Cecilia Malmström Home Affairs Barroso II FP
Margot Wallström Environment / Institutional Relations & Communication Strategy (First Vice-President) Prodi / Barroso I SAP
Anita Gradin Immigration, Justice & Home Affairs Santer & Marín SAP

United Kingdom

Commissioner Portfolio Commission Party
Catherine Ashton Trade
High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (Vice-President)		 Barroso I & II Labour
Peter Mandelson Trade Barroso I Labour
Chris Patten External Relations Prodi Conservative
Neil Kinnock Transport / Administrative Reform (Vice-President) Santer & Marín / Prodi Labour
Bruce Millan Regional Policy and Cohesion Delors II & Delors III Labour
Leon Brittan Competition (Vice-President)[44] / External Relations Delors II & Delors III / Santer & Marín Conservative
Arthur Cockfield Internal market, tax law and customs Delors I Conservative
Stanley Clinton Davis Environment, consumer protection and transport Delors I Labour
Ivor Richard Employment and Social Affairs Thorn Labour
Christopher Tugendhat Budget and Financial Control and Financial Institutions (Vice-President)[45] Jenkins & Thorn Conservative
Roy Jenkins President Jenkins Labour
George Thomson Internal market and Customs Union Ortoli Labour
Christopher Soames External Relations Ortoli Conservative

Footnotes

  1. ^ Served from July 2009
  2. ^ Served from July 2004
  3. ^ Served until July 2009
  4. ^ Served until July 2004
  5. ^ Served from 1 January 2007, date of Bulgarian accession to the EU
  6. ^ Nominated by coalition (Coalition for Bulgaria) not including her party.
  7. ^ a b c d Served until May 2004
  8. ^ Not Vice-President in the first Delors Commission.
  9. ^ Served in Thorn from 6 January 1981 – 13 January 1981. Replaced by Poul Dalsager.
  10. ^ Served from 12 July 2004
  11. ^ Served until 12 July 2004
  12. ^ Served from April 2004
  13. ^ Served until April 2004
  14. ^ Corruption charges against Cresson forced early resignation of Santer Commission, replaced by the interim Marín Commission.
  15. ^ Served from May 1981
  16. ^ Served until May 1981
  17. ^ Vice President only in the third Delors Commission
  18. ^ Served from March 2004
  19. ^ Served until March 2004
  20. ^ Resigned in 1982 to contest Feb 82 general election
  21. ^ Burke served two terms as commissioner, firstly on the Jenkins Commission, which was in office from 1977–1981. In 1982, he was appointed the Kennedy successor on the Thorn commission by the minority Haughey Fianna Fáil Government. Although a Burke was a Fine Gael member, appointing an FF TD would have triggered a by-election.
  22. ^ Hillery resigned in 1976 just before the end of his term, to become President of Ireland. He was not replaced.
  23. ^ Resigned 8 May 1970, not replaced
  24. ^ Vice President Only from the second Hallstein Commission
  25. ^ Appointed 1961
  26. ^ Appointed 1959, Resigned 15 May 1963
  27. ^ Resigned 1960
  28. ^ Resigned 1959, after being elected President of the European Coal and Steel Community.
  29. ^ Until May 2004.
  30. ^ Santer Commission forced to resign over corruption charges. Replaced by interim Marín Commission.
  31. ^ Appointed 18 June 1958
  32. ^ Died 27 April 1958
  33. ^ Nominating party was the SLD.
  34. ^ Nominating party was the Civic Platform.
  35. ^ Nominating party was the PNL.
  36. ^ Served from 1 January 2007, date of Romanian accession to the EU
  37. ^ Nominating party was the PNL.
  38. ^ Served until May 2004 in Prodi Commission due to new member-state commissioners.
  39. ^ Served from 26 April 2004
  40. ^ Served until 26 April 2004.
  41. ^ From April 1994
  42. ^ Up until April 1994
  43. ^ Vice President in Delors III only
  44. ^ Vice President only from Third Delors Commission
  45. ^ Vice President only in Torn Commission
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Agriculture and Rural Development · Climate Action · Competition · Development · Digital Agenda · Economic and Monetary Affairs · Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth · Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion · Energy · Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy · Environment · Financial Programming and Budget · Health and Consumer Policy · High Representative · Home Affairs · Industry and Entrepreneurship · Internal Market and Services · International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response · Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration · Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship · Maritime Affairs and Fisheries · Regional Policy · Research, Innovation and Science · Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud · Trade · Transport