On September 10 the Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker presented his team of 27 commissioners. Under the new European Commission Dutch Foreign Minister Timmermans will officially be First Vice-President in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. In the new structure the six vice-presidents will supervise clusters of related portfolios. Each Vice-Presidents will lead a project team, steering and coordinating the work of a number of Commissioners.

In particular the Project Team “A Resilient Energy Union with a Forward-Looking Climate Change Policy” will be lead by Alenka Bratušek (Slovenia), Vice-President for Energy Union. Bratušek will steer and coordinate in particular the work of the Commissioners for Climate Action and Energy (under Miguel Arias Cañete, Spain); Transport and Space (under Maroš Šefčovič, Slovakia); Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (Elżbieta Bieńkowska, Poland); Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (Karmenu Vella, Malta); Regional Policy (led by Romania’s Corina Creţu); Agriculture and Rural Development (Phil Hogan, Ireland); and Research, Science and Innovation (Carlos Moedas, Portugal). A number of portfolios have been reshaped. Significantly, the Environment and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries portfolios have been combined and the same logic has been applied in deciding to establish one Commissioner in charge of both Climate Action and Energy policy.

The nomination of Miguel Arias Cañete for the position of Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy has been very criticised. The Spanish former Environment  Minister is said to have shares in an oil company while his right-wing government has cut subsidies for renewable energy in recent years. Moreover the combination of the portfolios of climate and energy is questioned as it could undermine the political scope of both issues.

If confirmed in a Parliament vote in October, the European Commission will take office on 1 November 2014.