[2] Barrot was approved by the European Parliament in 2004 for Commissioner of Transport and made a Vice-President in the new Barroso Commission.

However shortly after he began work, his previous conviction was revealed by Nigel Farage, MEP for Independence and Democracy.

French President Jacques Chirac had granted him presidential amnesty, a fact the Commissioner did not disclose during his hearing to the Parliament.

However infighting within private sector partners may have been a potential setback to the project with Barrot favouring greater funds from the EU budget.

[4] Other work includes recent guarantees of air passenger rights and the Single European Sky.