European Commissioner for Internal Market

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European Commissioner for Internal Market
European Commission
Style Mr. Commissioner
Reports to President of the European Commission
Nominator Member states
in accordance with the President
AppointerThe Parliament
sworn in by the Council
Term length Five years
Formation1958
First holder Piero Malvestiti
Salary 19,909 monthly [1] [2]
Website ec.europa.eu

The Commissioner for Internal Market is a member of the European Commission. The post is currently vacant, Stephane Sejourne has been nominated and is expected to take up the role in December 2024.

Contents

Responsibilities

The portfolio concerns the development of the 480-million-strong European single market, promoting free movement of people, goods, services and capital. Thus it is clearly a leading role but has become more complex as the single market for services has developed. A large area of work is now financial services, a politically sensitive topic for some member states. The Commissioner controls the Directorate-General for Internal Market and Services, Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market. [3] [4]

Elżbieta Bieńkowska (2014–2019)

Elżbieta Bieńkowska is a former Polish regional development minister and deputy prime minister. A self-described technocrat, she was appointed by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.

Michel Barnier (2010–2014)

Barnier's appointment was controversial for some. His nomination came after the late 2000s recession led to criticism of bankers by many. Especially in France, there was a desire to more regulate the financial services sector, which in Europe is largely based around the City of London. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's declaration that Barnier's (then French foreign minister) appointment as Internal Market Commissioner was a "victory" produced considerable worry in the UK that France would use Barnier to push French-inspired restrictive regulation upon the UK's financial centre. Although he said that "we need to turn the page on an era of irresponsibility; we need to put transparency, responsibility and ethics at the heart of the financial system", he has tried to soothe worries in the UK and has reiterated his independence from national influence. [5]

Charlie McCreevy (2004–2010)

Charlie McCreevy's stated priorities were: [6]

Directives McCreevy was involved with include the directives on:

Frits Bolkestein (1999–2004)

Commissioner Frits Bolkestein (Netherlands) served in the Prodi Commission between 1999 and 2004. In addition to holding the Internal Market portfolio, he also held Taxation and Customs Union. His head of cabinet was Laurs Nørlund.

Bolkestein is most notable for the Directive on services in the internal market, which is commonly called the "Bolkestein Directive". The directive aimed at enabling a company from one member state to recruit workers in another member state under the law of the company's home state. It was to help the development of the internal market for services, the development of which has lagged behind that for goods.

However, there was a great deal of concern about its effect on social standards and welfare, triggering competition between various parts of Europe. This led to significant protests across Europe against the directive, including a notable protest at the European Parliament in Strasbourg by port workers, which led to damage to the building. MEPs eventually reached a compromise on the text and the Parliament adopted it on 12 December 2006; 2 years after Bolkestein left office, under the Barroso Commission.

List of commissioners

#NameCountryPeriodCommission
1 Piero Malvestiti, cropped from Installatie van de nieuwe autoreitiet van de EKSG te Luxemburg, vlnr D Spie, Bestanddeelnr 910-6765.jpg Piero Malvestiti Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1958–1959 Hallstein Commission I
2 Giuseppe Caron datisenato 1963.jpg Giuseppe Caron Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1959–1963 Hallstein Commission I & II
3 Guido Colonna.jpg Guido Colonna di Paliano Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1964–1967 Hallstein Commission II
4 HansvonderGroben1965.jpg Hans von der Groeben Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 1967–1970 Rey Commission
5 ETH-BIB-Wilhelm Haferkamp, ehemaliger Vizeprasident der Europaischen Kommission-Com LC1500-0959-001.tif Wilhelm Haferkamp Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 1970–1973 Malfatti Commission, Mansholt Commission
6 Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F057701-0015, Berlin, Grune Woche.jpg Finn Olav Gundelach Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark 1973–1977 Ortoli Commission
7 Etienne Davignon1.jpg Étienne Davignon Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1977–1981 Jenkins Commission
8 Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F041436-0007, Hamburg, CDU-Bundesparteitag, Narjes.jpg Karl-Heinz Narjes Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany 1981–1985 Thorn Commission
9 Lord Cockfield Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom 1985–1989 Delors Commission I
10 Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F074377-0010, Bonn, FDP-Bundestagswahlparty, Bangemann (cropped).jpg Martin Bangemann Flag of Germany.svg  Germany 1989–1994 Delors Commission II & III
11 Raniero Vanni d'Archirafi Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1992–1994 Delors Commission III
12 Mario monti.gif Mario Monti Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 1994–1999 Santer Commission
13 Frits Bolkestein 1999.jpg Frits Bolkestein Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1999–2004 Prodi Commission
14 Charlie McCreevy, September 2004 03 (cropped).jpg Charlie McCreevy Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland 2004–2010 Barroso Commission I
15 Michel Barnier EP 1.jpg Michel Barnier Flag of France.svg  France 2010–2014 Barroso Commission II
16 Informal meeting of defence ministers (FAC). Handshake Juri Luik, Elzbieta Bienkowska and Federica Mogherini (36937778341) (cropped).jpg Elżbieta Bieńkowska Flag of Poland.svg  Poland 2014–2019 Juncker Commission
17 Hearing of Commissioner-designate Thierry Breton (49068069128) (cropped).jpg Thierry Breton Flag of France.svg  France 2019–2024 Von der Leyen Commission

See also

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References

  1. REGULATION No 422/67/EEC, 5/67/EURATOM OF THE COUNCIL, EurLex
  2. Base salary of grade 16, third step is €17,697.68: European Commission: Officials' salaries – accessed 19 March 2010
  3. Who’s who in the new Commission, Financial Times, November 2009
  4. My mandate, European Commission
  5. "EU nominee Michel Barnier tries to reassure City". BBC News. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  6. "The Commissioners – Profiles, Portfolios and Homepages". European Commission. Retrieved 9 December 2012.