A portfolio in the European Commission is an area of responsibility assigned to a European Commissioner, usually connected to one or several Directorates-General (DGs).
Portfolios Agriculture
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development is in charge of rural issues including most notably the controversial Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which represents 44% of the EU budget. The post used to be combined with Fisheries in the Jenkins and Thorn Commissions. The related DG is the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development
NameCountryPeriodCommissionPortfolio actual name 1 Sicco Mansholt 1958–1972 Hallstein Commission I & II, Rey Commission, Malfatti CommissionAgriculture (vice-president) 2 Carlo Scarascia-Mugnozza 1972–1973 Mansholt CommissionAgriculture 3 Pierre Lardinois 1973–1977 Ortoli CommissionAgriculture 4 Finn Olav Gundelach 1977–1981 Jenkins CommissionAgriculture-Fisheries (vice-president)1981–1985Thorn CommissionAgriculture 5Poul DalsagerAgriculture 6 Frans Andriessen 1985–1989 Delors Commission IAgriculture and Rural Development (vice-president) 7 Ray MacSharry 1989–1992 Delors Commission IIAgriculture and Rural Development 8 René Steichen 1992–1995 Delors Commission III 9 Franz Fischler 1995–1999Santer Commission1999–2004Prodi CommissionAgriculture and Fisheries 10Sandra Kalniete 2004 11 Mariann Fischer Boel 2004–2010 Barroso Commission IAgriculture and Rural Development 12 Dacian Cioloş 2010–2014 Barroso Commission II 13 Phil Hogan 2014–2019 Juncker Commission 14 Janusz Wojciechowski 2019-2024 Von der Leyen Commission Agriculture 15 Christophe Hansen Incumbent Von der Leyen Commission II Agriculture and Food
Climate Action
The post of Commissioner for Climate Action was created in February 2010, being split from the environmental portfolio to focus on fighting climate change. The first Commissioner to take the post was Connie Hedegaard who headed the Directorate-General for Climate Action. NameCountryPeriodCommissionPortfolio actual name 1 Connie Hedegaard 2010–2014 Barroso Commission II Climate Action 2 Miguel Arias Cañete 2014–2019 Juncker Commission Climate Action and Energy 3 Frans Timmermans 2019–2023 Von der Leyen Commission Climate Action 4 Maroš Šefčovič (acting) 2023 Von der Leyen Commission Climate Action 5 Wopke Hoekstra Incumbent Von der Leyen Commission I, Von der Leyen Commission II Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth
Competition
The Commissioner for Competition is the member responsible for commercial competition, company mergers, cartels, state aid, and anti-trust law. The position became the sole merger authority for the European Economic Area in September 1990. The Competition Commissioner is one of the most powerful positions in the commission and is notable in affecting global companies. For example, the commissioner has been pursued a number of high-profile cases against anticompetitive behaviour; such as the case against the merger of Sony – BMG, against Apple Inc. regarding iTunes,Brussels Accuses iTunes of Violating Competition Rules Der Spiegel the ongoing case against Microsoft and in particular the GE-Honeywell merger attempt in 2001.The Commission prohibits GE's acquisition of Honeywell Europa (web portal) In 2007, Neelie Kroes (then Competition Commissioner) was the only Commissioner to make Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women; she held position 59.100 Most Powerful Women Forbes
NameCountryPeriodCommissionPortfolio actual name 1 Hans von der Groeben 1958–1967 Hallstein Commission I & IICompetition 2 Maan Sassen 1967–1971 Rey Commission 3 Albert Borschette 1970–1973 Malfatti Commission, Mansholt CommissionCompetition and Regional Policy1973–1977Ortoli CommissionCompetition 4Raymond Vouel 1976–1981Jenkins Commission 5 Frans Andriessen 1981–1985 Thorn CommissionParliamentary Relations and Competition 6 Peter Sutherland 1985–1989 Delors Commission ICompetition, social affairs and education 7Sir Leon Brittan 1989–1992Delors Commission IICompetition and financial institutions (vice-president) 8 Karel Van Miert 1993–1999 Delors Commission III, Santer CommissionCompetition (vice-president) 9 Mario Monti 1999–2004 Prodi CommissionCompetition 10 Neelie Kroes 2004–2010 Barroso Commission I 11 Joaquín Almunia 2010–2014 Barroso Commission IICompetition (vice-president) 12 Margrethe Vestager 2014-2024 Juncker Commission, Von der Leyen Commission Competition (Executive Vice-President) 13 Teresa Ribera Incumbent Von der Leyen Commission II Competition (Executive Vice-President)
Development The Commissioner for Development deals with promoting sustainable development in deprived regions (such as ACP countries and the EU's OCTs). It used to include humanitarian aid. The related DG is Directorate-General for International Partnerships
NameCountryPeriodCommissionPortfolio actual name 1 Robert Lemaignen 1958–1962 Hallstein Commission IOverseas Development 2 Henri Rochereau 1962–1967 Hallstein Commission II1967–1970Rey CommissionDevelopment Assistance 3 Jean-François Deniau 1967–1970 Rey CommissionForeign Trade, Enlargement and Assistance to developing countries1970–1972Malfatti CommissionExternal Relations and Development Aid1972–1973Mansholt CommissionForeign Affairs and Development Aid1973Ortoli CommissionDevelopment cooperation 4Claude Cheysson 1973–1981Ortoli Commission, Jenkins CommissionDevelopment1981Thorn Commission 5Edgard Pisani 1981–1984 6 Lorenzo Natali 1985–1989 Delors Commission ICooperation, development affairs and enlargement (vice-president)7Filippo Maria Pandolfi1989–1993Delors Commission IIScience, research, development, telecommunications and innovation (vice-president) 7Manuel Marin 1989–1992Cooperation, development and fisheries (vice-president)1993–1994Delors Commission IIICooperation, development and humanitarian aid (vice-president) 8 João de Deus Pinheiro 1995–1999 Santer CommissionRelations with African, Caribbean, Pacific Countries, South Africa and the Lomé Convention 9 Poul Nielson 1999–2004 Prodi CommissionDevelopment and Humanitarian Aid 10 Joe Borg 200411Benita Ferrero-Waldner2004–2010Barroso Commission IExternal Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy 12Louis Michel 2004–2009Development and Humanitarian Aid 13 Karel De Gucht 2009–2010 14 Andris Piebalgs 2010–2014 Barroso Commission IIDevelopment 15 Neven Mimica 2014–2019 Juncker CommissionInternational Cooperation and Development 16 Jutta Urpilainen 2019-2024 Von der Leyen CommissionInternational Partnerships 17 Jozef Síkela Incumbent Von der Leyen Commission IIInternational Partnerships
Technology
The Commissioner for the Digital Agenda, previously the Commissioner for Information Society and Media, is responsible media and information issues such as telecoms and ICT.
2004–2010 Commissioner, Viviane Reding, found a relatively popular policy in seeking to lower roaming charges of mobile phones when travelling within the EU, stating: "For years, mobile roaming charges have remained unjustifiably high. We are therefore tackling one of the last borders within Europe's internal market".Roaming Charges Portal European Commission Her legislation to cap roaming charges was approved by the Parliament in April 2007European parliament backs roaming price cuts Computer Business Review Online On 7 April 2006 the commission launched the new ".eu" TLD for websites for EU companies and citizens wishing to have a non-national European internet address. This has proved popular with 2.5 being registered by April 2007. It is now the seventh most popular TLD worldwide, and third in Europe (after .de and .uk)`.eu' Domain Names Top 2.5M in Year One Huffington Post
In the previous Commission information society was linked with Enterprise (now linked with Industry). NameCountryPeriodCommissionPortfolio actual name1Fritz Hellwig1967–1970Rey CommissionResearch and Technology, Distribution of Information and Joint Research Centre (vice-president)2Lorenzo Natali1981–1985Thorn CommissionMediterranean Policy, Enlargement and Information (vice-president) 3Karl-Heinz Narjes 1985–1988 Delors Commission IIndustry, information technology and science and research (vice-president)4Carlo Ripa di MeanaInstitutional reforms, information policy, culture and tourism5Filippo Maria Pandolfi1989–1993Delors Commission IIScience, research, development, telecommunications and innovation (vice-president)6Martin Bangemann1993–1994Delors Commission IIIInternal market, industrial affairs and ICT (vice-president) 7 Antonio Ruberti Science, research, technological development and education (vice-president) (6) Martin Bangemann 1995–1999 Santer CommissionIndustrial affairs, Information and Telecommunications Technologies8Marcelino OrejaRelations with the European Parliament, Culture, Audiovisual Policy 9Erkki Liikanen 1999–2004Prodi CommissionEnterprise and Information Society10Olli Rehn2004 11 Ján Figeľ 2004 12 Viviane Reding 2004–2010Barroso Commission IInformation Society and Media 13Neelie Kroes 2010–2014Barroso Commission IIDigital Agenda (vice-president) 14Andrus Ansip 2014–2019Juncker CommissionDigital Single Market (vice-president) 15Maroš Šefčovič2019 16 Margrethe Vestager 2019-2024 Von der Leyen CommissionEurope Fit for Digital Age (Executive Vice-President) 17 Henna Virkkunen Incumbent Von der Leyen Commission II Digital and Frontier Technologies (Executive Vice-President)
Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs
The Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs is responsible for the EU's economic affairs including the euro. In the Juncker Commission, the post also acquired responsibility for taxation and anti-fraud protection.
There have been calls for a strengthened economic portfolio with Ségolène Royal suggesting that there should be an economic government for the eurozoneRoyal v Sarkozy: The policies BBC News and at the start of the first Barroso Commission Germany suggested an economic "super-commissioner"'Big three' strike deal on super commissioner, French VAT cuts, 1% ceiling EurActiv.com – which could see a change in this position. That idea, however, was dropped but the Enterprise and Industry Commissioner was strengthened in response.The New Commission – Some Initial Thought BM Brussels