THE INCOMING European Commission is poised to receive the endorsement of the European Parliament in a vote here today, ending a months-long hiatus in the EU’s prime policy-making body.
The new commission, whose Irish member is former Fianna Fáil minister Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, has set the battle to consolidate Europe’s nascent economic recovery as its top priority. It comes to office at a time of concern over the fiscal crisis in Greece.
Commission president José Manuel Barroso, the former Portuguese prime minister, received his second mandate from MEPs as long ago as September.
Although the outgoing commission has been sitting in a caretaker capacity since the end of October, its exit has been delayed by the protracted enactment of the Lisbon reform treaty and the replacement of Bulgaria’s original commission nominee.
Given positive signals from the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) group and the Socialist group, today’s vote is seen in political circles as something of a foregone conclusion.
“The EPP will vote the new commission without any hesitation,” said a spokesman for the group, which has 265 seats in the 736-seat parliament.
Although the 14 French MEPs in the Socialist camp signalled their resistance to the new executive, informed sources expressed confidence that a commanding majority of the 184 MEPs in the group will back it.
Ms Geoghegan-Quinn assumes responsibility for the science, research and innovation portfolio.
“The nominee was perceived as independent and displayed integrity with excellent communications skills,” said an assessment of her confirmation hearing before the industry committee.
Her private office, or cabinet, will be led by John Bell, a Dubliner who has been chef de cabinet for outgoing Bulgarian commissioner Meglena Kuneva.
Ana Arana Antelo, head of the electricity and gas unit in the commission’s transport and energy division, will be his deputy.
Waldemar Kuett, deputy head of outgoing Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik, is also joining Ms Geoghegan-Quinn’s office.
David Harmon, a Fianna Fáil official in the European Parliament, has joined the cabinet as has Patricia Reilly, a senior civil servant in the Department of Agriculture in Dublin.
Shane Sutherland, an official in the cabinet of outgoing Irish commissioner Charlie McCreevy, has also joined Ms Geoghegan-Quinn’s cabinet.
He is a son of businessman Peter Sutherland, a former EU competition commissioner.
Also joining the cabinet is Marion Dewar, a speechwriter in the Bureau of European Policy Advisers.
She is daughter of the late Donald Dewar, once the first minister in Scotland’s devolved parliamentary assembly.
A priority for the new commission is to develop a new medium-term economic plan for the union, a process that comes against the backdrop of demands for greater policy co-ordination among member states.
President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy has called EU leaders to a special summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the plan.
In his invitation to EU leaders, he made an oblique reference to the Greek crisis when discussing the new jobs and growth strategy.
“This is even more important in the light of recent developments inside and outside the eurozone,” he said.