Brussels, 09 February 2010

The President of the European People’s Party (EPP), Wilfried MARTENS, welcomed today the large majority that the Barroso II Commission received today in the European Parliament. In the new Lisbon era, President Jose Manuel BARROSO and his team have received the mandate to bring the EU forward. In the new 27-member Commission, the EPP has a total of 13 members including two Vice Presidents (see list below) whereas the ELDR (Liberal party) has 8 and the PES (Socialist party) has 6. EPP Secretary General Antonio LOPEZ-ISTURIZ also welcomed the new Commission.

“I am particularly pleased with the strong majority that the Barroso II Commission received today. After the delays and maneuvers of the previous months, the European Commission can finally start its work. Having in mind the manifold challenges that Europe currently faces, the Commission must take swift and decisive initiatives that are visible to European societies. The EU must also become bolder in international affairs since, even until today, it continues to be very timid,” underlined the EPP President.

“Regarding the 13 EPP Commissioners, the EPP is very pleased with their portfolios and their leading roles in the new Commission. I wish them all the best in their new work and I look forward to their initiatives,” Wilfried Martens added.

EPP Secretary General Antonio Lopez-Isturiz also welcomed the new Commission:

“Today’s support for the Barroso II Commission is a strong signal that the EU means business – the EU institutions cannot waste any more time dealing with themselves – the EU must now start dealing with the people and their concerns such as the economic and financial crisis. I am convinced that President Barroso and his team will seize the opportunity and work hard to bring Europe forward,” Lopez-Isturiz stated.

EPP Commissioners:

Jose Manuel BARROSO: President

Viviane REDING: Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. Vice-President of the Commission

Antonio TAJANI: Industry and Entrepreneurship. Vice-President of the Commission

Michel BARNIER: Internal Market and Services

Dacian CIOLOS: Agriculture and Rural Development

John DALLI: Health and Consumer Policy

Kristalina GEORGIEVA: International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response

Johannes HAHN: Regional Policy

Connie HEDEGAARD: Climate Action

Janusz LEWANDOWSKI: Budget and Financial Programming

Günther OETTINGER: Energy

Andris PIEBALGS: Development

Algirdas ŠEMETA: Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud

The EPP currently leads the three main EU institutions: the European Council with Herman VAN ROMPUY, the European Parliament with Jerzy BUZEK, and the European Commission with Jose Manuel BARROSO.

Note to editors:

The EPP is the largest and most influential European-level political party of the centre-right, which currently includes 72 member-parties from 39 countries, the Presidents of the Commission, Council, and Parliament, 13 EU and 6 non-EU heads of state and government, 13 members of the European Commission and the largest Group in the European Parliament.

For more information:

Kostas Sasmatzoglou, EPP Spokesman, Tel. +32-2-2854147
Javier Jiménez, EPP Press Officer, Tel: +32-475480446