Sim Kallas to take on Transport portfolio

Commission President Barroso just finished the job of matching names with portfolios. The result of the reshuffle is that Commissioner Tajani is leaving his Transport seat to the Estonian Commissioner and Vice President of the Commission Sim Kallas. Up to now Kallas was Commissioner for Administrative Affairs, Audit and Anti-Fraud. Kallas is a liberal and former Prime Minister of Estonia.

As regards the content of the transport portfolio it is worth mentioning that DG TREN will not longer deal with state aid competencies, which will move to DG COMP and be treated in the future by the Spanish Commissioner Joaquin Almunia.

The newly designated Greek Commissioner Maria Damanaki will take Commissioner Borg’s portfolio on Maritime affairs and fisheries (MARE).

The Slovene Janez Potocnik will leave the science and research competence and will now cover the environmental dossiers in the new Commission.

It should be clear that the commissioners will only take up their new function if they gain the approval from the European Parliament. Commissioners-designate will appear in individual hearings before Parliamentary committees from 11-19 January.

The vote of consent on the new Commission as a whole is foreseen to take place on 26 January.
On the basis of the vote of consent, the Commission shall be appointed by the European Council. Then it can start working. It will do so on the basis of the political guidelines for the next Commission set out by President Barroso in September last.

Source:  Transport Weekly