European commissioner

[citation needed] As parliament cannot vote against individual commissioners there is usually a compromise whereby the worst candidates are removed but minor objections are put aside, or dealt with by adjusting portfolios, so the commission can take office.

Once the team is approved by the parliament, it is formally put into office by the European Council (TEU Article 17:7).

There are exceptions, such as Member of the Commission Richard Burke (of Fine Gael), who was nominated by Taoiseach Charles Haughey (of Fianna Fáil).

I further undertake to respect, both during and after my term of office, the obligation arising therefrom, and in particular the duty to behave with integrity and discretion as regards the acceptance, after I have ceased to hold office, of certain appointments or benefits.Until 2004, the larger member states (Spain upwards) nominated two commissioners and the smaller states nominated one.

The exact number of commissioners would have to be decided by a unanimous vote of the European Council and membership would rotate equally between member states.

Following the accession of Romania and Bulgaria in January 2007, this clause took effect for the following commission (appointed after the 2009 European elections).

[5] The failed European Constitution first mandated that the number of commissioners should equal two-thirds of the member states.

[8] Another change Lisbon brought, as hinted above, was the creation of the role of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy by merging the post of European Commissioner for External Relations with the council's High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

The new more powerful high representative became ex-officio Vice-President of the Commission and would chair the Council of the European Union when foreign ministers were meeting.

[15] Louis Michel (Development & Humanitarian Aid) announced that he would go on unpaid leave to take part in the 2007 Belgian elections.

The Commission revised its code of conduct for commissioners allowing them to "be active members of political parties or trade unions".

[20] Wallström has been notable for engaging in debate and politics: she was the first commissioner to start her own blog Archived 15 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine.

However their political nature can also cause problems in their habit of leaving the job early in the final years of the commission to take up new national posts.

[21] Appointment to the commission has the effect of removing a political figure from a country for a period of years, and this has been compared to the ancient Athenian practice of ostracism.

[24] Thierry Breton resigned as European Commissioner on 16 September 2024, accusing Ursula von der Leyen of undermining him and disrupting the EU’s power transition.