Prodi Commission

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

Prodi Commission
3rd Commission of the European Union
Date formed	16 September 1999 (1999-09-16)
Date dissolved	21 November 2004 (2004-11-21)
History
Election(s)	1999 European Parliament election
Predecessor	Santer Commission
Successor	Barroso Commission I

Headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels.

History

The commission took office on 16 September 1999^[1] 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".^[2][3]

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

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

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
	Romano Prodi		President	Italy	ELDR National: ID/DL
	Neil Kinnock		Vice-President; Administrative Reform	United Kingdom	PES National: Labour
	Loyola de Palacio		Vice-President; Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration, Transport and Energy	Spain	EPP National: PP
	Mario Monti		Competition	Italy	Independent
	Franz Fischler		Agriculture and Fisheries	Austria	EPP National: ÖVP
	Erkki Liikanen		Enterprise and Information Society	Finland	PES National: SDP	Served until 12 July 2004
	Olli Rehn		Enterprise and Information Society	Finland	ELDR National: Keskusta	Served from 12 July 2004
	Frits Bolkestein		Internal Market	Netherlands	ELDR National: VVD
	Philippe Busquin		Research	Belgium	PES National: PS	Served until July 2004
	Louis Michel		Research	Belgium	ELDR National: MR	Served from July 2004
	Poul Nielson		Development and Humanitarian Aid	Denmark	PES National: SD
	Günter Verheugen		Enlargment	Germany	PES National: SPD
	Chris Patten		External Relations	United Kingdom	ED National: Conservatives
	Pascal Lamy		Trade	France	PES National: PS
	David Byrne		Health and Consumer Protection	Ireland	Independent
	Viviane Reding		Education and Culture	Luxembourg	EPP National: CSV
	Michaele Schreyer		Budget	Germany	EGP National: DG
	Margot Wallström		Environment	Sweden	PES National: SAP
	António Vitorino		Justice and Home Affairs	Portugal	PES National: PS
	Anna Diamantopoulou		Employment and Social Affairs	Greece	PES National: PASOK	Served until March 2004
	Stavros Dimas		Employment and Social Affairs	Greece	EPP National: ND	Served from March 2004
	Michel Barnier		Regional Policy	France	EPP National: UMP	Served until April 2004
	Jacques Barrot		Regional Policy	France	EPP National: UMP	Served from April 2004
	Pedro Solbes		Economic and Monetary Affairs	Spain	PES National: PSOE	Served until 26 April 2004
	Joaquín Almunia		Economic and Monetary Affairs	Spain	PES National: PSOE	Served from 26 April 2004

New commissioners from 1 May 2004

	Commissioner	Portrait	Portfolio	State	Party	Notes
	Péter Balázs		Regional Policy	Hungary	Independent
	Danuta Hübner		Trade	Poland	Party of European Socialists National: Independent
	Siim Kallas		Economic and Monetary Affairs	Estonia	ELDR National: Reform
	Joe Borg		Development & Humanitarian Aid	Malta	EPP National: PN
	Sandra Kalniete		Agriculture and Fisheries	Latvia	EPP National: Vienotiba
	Dalia Grybauskaitė		Education and Culture	Lithuania	Independent
	Janez Potočnik		Enlargement	Slovenia	Independent
	Ján Figeľ		Enterprise and Information Society	Slovakia	EPP National: KDH
	Markos Kyprianou		Budget	Cyprus	ELDR National: DIKO
	Pavel Telička		Health and Consumer Protection	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