Juncker Commission

Juncker Commission
6th Commission of the European Union
Date formed	1 November 2014 (2014-11-01)
Date dissolved	30 November 2019 (2019-11-30)
People and organisations
President of the Commission	President Jean-Claude Juncker
Vice-President(s) of the Commission	First Vice President Frans Timmermans
No. of commissioners	26
Commissioners removed (Death/resignation/dismissal)	4
Total no. of commissioners	30
Member parties	EPP (14)    PES (7)    ALDE (4)   None (1)
History
Election(s)	2014 European Parliament election
Predecessor	Barroso Commission
Successor	Von der Leyen Commission

Jean-Claude Juncker delivering a speech at the election congress of the EPP in March 2014

The Juncker Commission was the European Commission in office from 1 November 2014 to 30 November 2019. Its president was Jean-Claude Juncker, who presided over 27 other commissioners (one from each of the states composing the European Union, except Luxembourg, which is Juncker's state). In July 2014, Juncker was officially elected to succeed José Manuel Barroso, who completed his second five-year term in that year.

Election

See also: European Commission § Appointment, and Jean-Claude Juncker § Commission presidency

Juncker's campaign bus used for the 2014 European Parliament election

In the 2014 parliamentary election, Juncker campaigned as the candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) for the presidency of the European Commission. ^[1] The EPP won a plurality in parliament, and on 27 June, the European Council nominated him for the post. Later on 15 July 2014, the European Parliament elected Juncker as the new Commission president. ^{[2] [3] [4]} On 22 October, the European Parliament approved the Juncker Commission in its entirety and during the 23–24 October 2014 meeting of the European Council the Council formally appointed the new Commission. ^{[5] [6]} On 1 November 2014, the new Commission officially assumed office. ^{[7] [8]} Juncker has outlined a ten-point agenda for his Presidency focusing on jobs and growth. ^[9]

Policy

Under the Juncker Commission, the EU General Data Protection Regulation was passed. The Commission co-developed the law, culminating in a trilogue proposal between the Commission, Parliament, and Council on 15 December 2015. The GDPR entered into force on 24 May 2016. ^[10]

The Commission abolished retail telephone and mobile data roaming charges in the member states and some others (Roam Like At Home). ^[11]

Institutional reorganisation

Juncker made the Commission's work more top-down by strengthening the Secretariat-General in two ways. Firstly, he gave it a gatekeeper function regarding new initiatives. All "major initiatives" must henceforth be approved by the "relevant Vice-President(s) and the First Vice-President, unless they are initiated directly by the President". Secondly, the SG was made chair of all inter-service steering groups (ISGs) dealing with priority initiatives in the Commission's work programme. ^{[12] :9-10 [13] :8-9}

Juncker also abolished the position of Commissioner for Climate Action, merging it with the energy portfolio, to improve cooperation between staff in the Directorate-General (DG) Energy and the former DG Climate Action. ^{[13] :10}

Commissioners

The following college of commissioners serves under Juncker's presidency: ^{[14] [15] [16]}

Parties

   European People's Party (14)    Party of European Socialists (7)    Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (4)   None (1)

Juncker Commission
Confirmation by the European Parliament on October 22, 2014 • Appointment by the European Council on October 23, 2014
Portfolio	Designee		Portfolio	Designee		Portfolio	Designee
President – Nomination June 27, 2014 Elected July 15, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg (EPP–CSV)	First Vice-President Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and Charter of Fundamental Rights – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Frans Timmermans of the Netherlands (PES–PvdA)	Vice-President and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini of Italy (PES–PD)
Vice-President Energy Union – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič of Slovakia (PES–Smer-SD)	Vice-President Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen of Finland (EPP–KOK)	Vice-President Euro and Social Dialogue and Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis of Latvia (EPP–Unity)
European Commissioner Justice and Consumers – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Development Věra Jourová of Czech Republic (ALDE–ANO)	European Commissioner Digital Economy and Society – Announced May 10, 2017 Took office July 7, 2017		Former MEP Mariya Gabriel of Bulgaria (EPP–GERB)	European Commissioner Budget and Human Resources – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister President Günther Oettinger of Germany (EPP–CDU)
European Commissioner Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Finance Pierre Moscovici of France (PES–PS)	European Commissioner Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former MEP Marianne Thyssen of Belgium (EPP–CD&V)	European Commissioner European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former European Commissioner Johannes Hahn of Austria (EPP–ÖVP)
European Commissioner Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos of Greece (EPP–ND)	European Commissioner Health and Food Safety – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Health Vytenis Andriukaitis of Lithuania (PES–SDP)	European Commissioner Security Union – Confirmation September 15, 2016 Took office September 19, 2016		Former Ambassador Julian King of United Kingdom (None)
European Commissioner Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Deputy Prime Minister Elżbieta Bieńkowska of Poland (EPP–PO)	European Commissioner Climate Action and Energy – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Agriculture Miguel Arias Cañete of Spain (EPP–PP)	European Commissioner International Cooperation and Development – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Deputy Prime Minister Neven Mimica of Croatia (PES–SDP)
European Commissioner Competition – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Deputy Prime Minister Margrethe Vestager of Denmark (ALDE–RV)	European Commissioner Transport – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Deputy Prime Minister Violeta Bulc of Slovenia (ALDE–SMC)	European Commissioner Trade – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of EU Affairs Cecilia Malmström of Sweden (ALDE–L)
European Commissioner Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Tourism Karmenu Vella of Malta (PES–PL)	European Commissioner Education, Culture, Youth and Sport – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics of Hungary (EPP–Fidesz)	European Commissioner Research, Science and Innovation – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Under-Secretary of State Carlos Moedas of Portugal (EPP–PSD)
European Commissioner Agriculture and Rural Development – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former Minister of Environment Phil Hogan of Ireland (EPP–FG)	European Commissioner Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management – Confirmation October 22, 2014 Took office November 1, 2014		Former MEP Christos Stylianides of Cyprus (EPP–DISY)

Former members

	Nominee	Portrait	Portfolio	State	Party
	Andrus Ansip [17]		Digital Single Market (Vice President)	Estonia	ALDE National: ERP
	Corina Crețu [18]		Regional Policy	Romania	PES (Before 2019) National: PSD (Before 2019)
					EDP (2019) National: PRO (2019)
	Jonathan Hill [19]		Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union	United Kingdom	AECR National: Conservative
	Kristalina Georgieva [20]		Budget and Human Resources (Vice President)	Bulgaria	EPP National: GERB

President's cabinet

The President's cabinet supports the President of the commission, and thus has a very central role in coordinating the work of the European Commission as a whole. The president's cabinet is led by Clara Martinez Alberola. Formerly, it was led by Martin Selmayr, who has been described as "the most powerful EU chief of staff ever." ^[21]

Project teams

Juncker has for the first time proposed a commission that clusters certain members together under designated policy areas. These clusters are known as "Project Teams" and will each be headed by one of the vice presidents. ^[22] Each team is composed of a core membership in addition to members who may fall under its respective umbrella as needed. ^[23] Timmermans and Georgieva both oversee all commissioners while the remaining five project teams are as follows:

A Connected Digital Single Market

Vice President: Andrus Ansip (Digital Single Market)

Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

Corina Crețu (Regional Policy)

Phil Hogan (Agriculture and Rural Development)

Věra Jourová (Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality)

Pierre Moscovici (Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs)

Günther Oettinger (Digital Economy and Society)

Marianne Thyssen (Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility)

Vytenis Andriukaitis (Health and Food Safety)

Jonathan Hill/Valdis Dombrovskis (Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union)

Carlos Moedas (Research, Science and Innovation)

Tibor Navracsics (Education, Culture, Youth and Sport)

Margrethe Vestager (Competition)

A Deeper and Fairer Economic and Monetary Union

Vice President: Valdis Dombrovskis (Euro and Social Dialogue)

Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

Corina Crețu (Regional Policy)

Věra Jourová (Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality)

Jonathan Hill/Valdis Dombrovskis (Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union)

Pierre Moscovici (Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs)

Tibor Navracsics (Education, Culture, Youth and Sport)

Marianne Thyssen (Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility)

A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment

Vice President: Jyrki Katainen (Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness)

Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

Miguel Arias Cañete (Climate Action and Energy)

Corina Crețu (Regional Policy)

Jonathan Hill/Valdis Dombrovskis (Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union)

Pierre Moscovici (Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs)

Günther Oettinger (Digital Economy and Society)

Violeta Bulc (Transport)

Marianne Thyssen (Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility)

Vytenis Andriukaitis (Health and Food Safety)

Dimitris Avramopoulos (Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship)

Johannes Hahn (European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations)

Phil Hogan (Agriculture and Rural Development)

Věra Jourová (Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality)

Cecilia Malmström (Trade)

Carlos Moedas (Research, Science and Innovation)

Tibor Navracsics (Education, Culture, Youth and Sport)

Karmenu Vella (Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)

Margrethe Vestager (Competition)

A Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy

Vice President: Maroš Šefčovič (Energy Union)

Elżbieta Bieńkowska (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs)

Miguel Arias Cañete (Climate Action and Energy)

Corina Crețu (Regional Policy)

Phil Hogan (Agriculture and Rural Development)

Karmenu Vella (Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)

Carlos Moedas (Research, Science and Innovation)

Violeta Bulc (Transport)

Věra Jourová (Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality)

Cecilia Malmström (Trade)

Günther Oettinger (Digital Economy and Society)

Pierre Moscovici (Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs)

Marianne Thyssen (Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility)

Margrethe Vestager (Competition)

A Stronger Global Actor

Vice President: Federica Mogherini (Foreign Affairs and Security Policy)

Johannes Hahn (European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations)

Cecilia Malmström (Trade)

Neven Mimica (International Cooperation and Development)

Christos Stylianides (Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management)

Dimitris Avramopoulos (Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship)

Miguel Arias Cañete (Climate Action and Energy)

Violeta Bulc (Transport)

A European Agenda on Migration

In 2015, when European migrant crisis unfolded, new project team was formed. ^[24]

First Vice President: Frans Timmermans (Better Regulation, Interinstitutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights)

Federica Mogherini (Foreign Affairs and Security Policy)

Dimitris Avramopoulos (Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship)

Johannes Hahn (European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations)

Neven Mimica (International Cooperation and Development)

Christos Stylianides (Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management)

Věra Jourová (Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality)

Julian King (Security Union) ^[25]

References

1. "Jean-Claude Juncker: Experience. Solidarity. Future". European People's Party. Archived from the original on 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2019-04-17.
2. Parliament elects ‘politically ecumenical’ Juncker as Commission President EurActiv
3. Blow to Cameron as centrist MEPs back Juncker for European commission job The Guardian
4. Baker, Luke (2014-06-23). "Battle over Juncker underlines EU parliament's 'adulthood'". Uk.reuters.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
5. "EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECISION appointing the European Commission" (PDF). European Council. 22 October 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
6. "European Council (23 and 24 October 2014) ‒ Conclusions" (PDF). European Council. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
7. "The new European Commission – Parliament elects new European Commission". European Parliament. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
8. "Juncker Commission takes office". European Commission. 1 November 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
9. Jean-Claude Juncker: My Agenda for Jobs, Growth, Fairness and Democratic Change Archived 2019-10-30 at the Wayback Machine The Parliament Magazine
10. "The History of the General Data Protection Regulation | European Data Protection Supervisor". edps.europa.eu. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
11. "EUR-Lex - 2016_185 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
12. Bürgin, Alexander (2018). "Intra- and Inter-Institutional Leadership of the European Commission President: An Assessment of Juncker's Organizational Reforms: Leadership of Commission President" . JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies. 56 (4): 837–853. doi:10.1111/jcms.12648. S2CID   158993394.
13. Bürgin, Alexander (2020). "The impact of Juncker's reorganization of the European Commission on the internal policy‐making process: Evidence from the Energy Union project" . Public Administration. 98 (2): 378–391. doi:10.1111/padm.12388. ISSN   0033-3298.
14. Cerulus, Laurens (July 10, 2014). "Juncker wants more women in new Commission team".
15. "Poland, Italy nominations leave Juncker needing four more commissioners". Euractiv.com. Retrieved 2016-05-04.
16. EU Commission College Archived 2014-09-13 at the Wayback Machine
17. Ansip served until 1 July 2019.
18. Crețu served until 1 July 2019.
19. Hill served until 15 July 2016.
20. Georgieva served until 31 December 2016.
21. HERSZENHORN, DAVID M. (17 Nov 2016). "'Monster' at the Berlaymont". Politico. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
22. Vice-presidents to lead teams of commissioners
23. The new structure of the Juncker Commission
24. Juncker Commission. One year on
25. President Juncker consults the European Parliament on Sir Julian King as Commissioner for the Security Union

External links

• Political guidelines
• Priorities Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine