Prodi Commission

File:Belgique - Bruxelles - Schuman - Berlaymont - 01.jpg

Headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels.

The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

History

The commission took office on 16 September 1999<ref>Template:CELEX</ref> following the scandal and subsequent resignation of the Santer Commission which had damaged the reputation of the institution. The college consisted of 20 Commissioners which grew to 30 following the Enlargement of the European Union in 2004. It was the last commission to see two members allocated to the larger member states.

This commission (the 10th) saw in increase in power and influence following the Amsterdam Treaty. Some in the media described president Prodi as being the first "Prime Minister of the European Union".<ref>Prodi to Have Wide, New Powers as Head of the European Commission iht.com 16 April 1999</ref><ref>Commentary: Romano Prodi: Europe's First Prime Minister? (int'l edition) Businessweek.com 1999</ref>

As well as the enlargement and Amsterdam Treaty, the Prodi Commission also saw the signing and enforcement of the Nice Treaty as well as the conclusion and signing of the European Constitution: in which he introduced the "Convention method" of negotiation. From 1999 Prodi saw in the euro and by 2002 it came into cash form and the single currency for 12 of the EU's 15 member states.<ref>Discover the former Presidents: The Prodi Commission, Europa (web portal), retrieved 23 August 2007</ref> The body was however criticised for being lacklustre, with poor communication and failing to make an impact despite major events such as enlargement and the euro.<ref>BM: The new Commission – some initial thoughts Template:Webarchive bmbrussels.be 2004</ref>

The commission was due to leave office on 31 October 2004, but due to opposition from the European Parliament to the proposed Barroso Commission which would succeed it, it was extended and finally left office on 21 November 2004.

Commissioners

File:Prodi Commission New.jpg

New members of May 2004 with president Prodi

When the Commission took office in 1999, there were 20 Commissioners, one from each member state and two from the largest 5 states (Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom).

2004 saw 15 new Commissioners, 5 replacing existing Commissioners who had resigned before the end of their mandate and 10 from the new member states who joined in that year. Most of these Commissioners continued to serve in the following Barroso Commission.

The members from the new states shared a portfolio with an existing member, rather than creating new posts or having Commissioners (old or new) without a portfolio.

The following table indicates the number of Commissioners according to their political alignment at the start of the commission, those who joined from the new member states and the number when the Commission left office. The colours reflect those used in the table of Commissioners below.

By political affiliation

Political alignment	1999 to 2003	Joined on 4 May	November 2004
Social Democrats (PES)	10	0	8
Liberals (ELDR)	2	2	6
Centre-right (EPP-ED)	5	3	9
Greens (EGP)	1	0	1
Independent	2	5	6

Initial College

	Commissioner	Portrait	Portfolio	State	Party	Notes
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Romano Prodi	File:Romano Prodi 2004.jpg	President	Template:Flagicon Italy	ELDR National: ID/DL
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Neil Kinnock	File:Official portrait of Neil Kinnock, Member of the EC (cropped).jpg	Vice-President; Administrative Reform	Template:Flagicon United Kingdom	PES National: Labour
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Loyola de Palacio	File:Loyola del Palacio 2001.jpg	Vice-President; Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration, Transport and Energy	Template:Flagicon Spain	EPP National: PP
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Mario Monti	File:Mario Monti 2002 (cropped).jpg	Competition	Template:Flagicon Italy	Independent
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Franz Fischler	File:Franz Fischler 1999.jpg	Agriculture and Fisheries	Template:Flagicon Austria	EPP National: ÖVP
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Erkki Liikanen	File:Erkki Liikanen 1999 (cropped).jpg	Enterprise and Information Society	Template:Flagicon Finland	PES National: SDP	Served until 12 July 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Olli Rehn	File:Hallitusneuvottelut 2023 2023-05-02 02 (cropped) (2).jpg	Enterprise and Information Society	Template:Flagicon Finland	ELDR National: Keskusta	Served from 12 July 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Frits Bolkestein	File:Frits Bolkestein 1999.jpg	Internal Market	Template:Flagicon Netherlands	ELDR National: VVD
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Philippe Busquin	File:Philippe Busquin.jpg	Research	Template:Flagicon Belgium	PES National: PS	Served until July 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Louis Michel	File:Louis Michel.jpg	Research	Template:Flagicon Belgium	ELDR National: MR	Served from July 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Poul Nielson	File:Poul Nielson 1999.jpg	Development and Humanitarian Aid	Template:Flagicon Denmark	PES National: SD
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Günter Verheugen	File:Oliver Mark - Günter Verheugen, Berlin 2007.jpg	Enlargement	Template:Flagicon Germany	PES National: SPD
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Chris Patten	File:Official photo of Christopher Patten (cropped).jpg	External Relations	Template:Flagicon United Kingdom	ED National: Conservatives
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Pascal Lamy	File:Pascal Lamy, 2006.jpg	Trade	Template:Flagicon France	PES National: PS
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	David Byrne	File:David Byrne 1999.jpg	Health and Consumer Protection	Template:Flagicon Ireland	Independent
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Viviane Reding	File:Viviane Reding 1999 (cropped).jpg	Education and Culture	Template:Flagicon Luxembourg	EPP National: CSV
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Michaele Schreyer	File:Michaele Schreyer 1999 (cropped).jpg	Budget	Template:Flagicon Germany	EGP National: DG
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Margot Wallström	File:USIP 2023 Missing Peace Global Symposium on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence - Day 1 on 1 November 2023 - 8 (cropped).jpg	Environment	Template:Flagicon Sweden	PES National: SAP
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	António Vitorino	File:António Vitorino 1999 (cropped).jpg	Justice and Home Affairs	Template:Flagicon Portugal	PES National: PS
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Anna Diamantopoulou	File:Anna Diamantopoulou 1999.tif	Employment and Social Affairs	Template:Flagicon Greece	PES National: PASOK	Served until March 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Stavros Dimas	File:Stavros Dimas 2008 (cropped).jpg	Employment and Social Affairs	Template:Flagicon Greece	EPP National: ND	Served from March 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Michel Barnier	File:Michel Barnier 1999 (cropped).jpg	Regional Policy	Template:Flagicon France	EPP National: UMP	Served until April 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Jacques Barrot	File:Jacques Barrot 2004 (cropped).jpg	Regional Policy	Template:Flagicon France	EPP National: UMP	Served from April 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Pedro Solbes	File:Pedro Solbes IMF.jpg	Economic and Monetary Affairs	Template:Flagicon Spain	PES National: PSOE	Served until 26 April 2004
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Joaquín Almunia	File:Joaquin Almunia Mercosul.jpg	Economic and Monetary Affairs	Template:Flagicon Spain	PES National: PSOE	Served from 26 April 2004

New commissioners from 1 May 2004

	Commissioner	Portrait	Portfolio	State	Party	Notes
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Péter Balázs	File:Péter Balázs, 2009.jpg	Regional Policy	Template:Flagicon Hungary	Independent
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Danuta Hübner	File:Danuta Hübner 2022 (cropped).jpg	Trade	Template:Flagicon Poland	Party of European Socialists National: Independent
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Siim Kallas	File:Siim Kallas 2004 (cropped).jpg	Economic and Monetary Affairs	Template:Flagicon Estonia	ELDR National: Reform
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Joe Borg	File:Joe Borg 2004 (cropped).jpg	Development & Humanitarian Aid	Template:Flagicon Malta	EPP National: PN
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Sandra Kalniete	File:Flickr - Saeima - 9.Saeimas deputāte Sandra Kalniete (cropped).jpg	Agriculture and Fisheries	Template:Flagicon Latvia	EPP National: Vienotiba
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Dalia Grybauskaitė	File:Dalia Grybauskaitė 2010-03-11.jpg	Education and Culture	Template:Flagicon Lithuania	Independent
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Janez Potočnik	File:Janez Potočnik, Strasbourg - Diliff.jpg	Enlargement	Template:Flagicon Slovenia	Independent
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Ján Figeľ	File:Ján Figeľ 2011.jpg	Enterprise and Information Society	Template:Flagicon Slovakia	EPP National: KDH
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Markos Kyprianou	File:Markos Kyprianou 2007.jpg	Budget	Template:Flagicon Cyprus	ELDR National: DIKO
style="background-color: Template:Party color" |	Pavel Telička	File:Pavel Telička.jpg	Health and Consumer Protection	Template:Flagicon Czech Republic	Independent

See also

• Bolkestein Directive
• Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe

External links

• President Prodi's Website
• Prodi Commission profiles, portfolios and homepages