Last week re-elected EU Commission President Jose-Manuel Barroso revealed the proposed list for his team for the period of 2009-2014.

Under the new Lisbon Treaty, the new College of Commissioners will have 27 members, including President Barroso, one from each Member State. The College will have 7 Vice-Presidents, including Vice-President Baroness Catherine Ashton who will, at the same time, be the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December.

There are a number of new portfolios: climate action, home affairs, digital agenda, justice, fundamental rights and citizenship. President Barroso has also reconfigured a number of other portfolios.

Outgoing Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs will be responsible for Development in the next five years, and the new Energy Commissioner has been named to be Gunter Oettinger from Germany. Former Research Commissioner Janez Potocnik will be responsible for Environment. The new Climate Action portfolio has been given to Connie Hedegaard from Denmark. The next Research and Development Commissioner will be Maire Geoghegan-Quinn from Ireland.

There will be a number of changes regarding the structure of the Commission as well. The Directorate-General (DG) Transport and Energy will be split, and a new DG Energy will be created. One department of DG Environment, the Climate Directorate (ENV C) will move to the newly created DG for Climate Action, which will be set up before the summer of 2010.

The new Commission must gain approval from the European Parliament before it takes office for a term of office running until 2014. Commissioners-designate will appear in individual hearings before Parliamentary committees from 11-19 January 2010. The vote 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 will be appointed by the European Council, and can starts its official work.

For more information on the new EU Commission, please click here.