Vice-President of the European Commission Information & Vice-President of the European Commission Links at HealthHaven.com

A Vice President of the European Commission is a post in the European Commission usually occupied by more than one member of the Commission.

[edit] Role and benefits

The post of Vice President is given to a Commissioner in addition to their usual portfolio. There are usually a number of them, selected by the Commission President though they have little extra power but are seen as important in appointments.

A Vice President does however earn more than a normal Commissioner, 241,422 euro as opposed to 217,280 euro. In comparison, the President earns 266,530 euro.^[1]

[edit] First Vice President

The First-Vice-President usually takes on the main role of a Vice-President: taking over from the President in their absence. The current First-Vice-President is Margot Wallström who is also in charge of the Commissions communication strategy, thereby acting as a major public face of the Commission.^[2]

[edit] Barroso Commission

Besides First Vice-President Wallström, who is in charge of Institutional Relations & Communication Strategy, there are presently 4 other Vice Presidents in the current Barroso Commission^[3]. Only one is from the members who joined in 2004, the other three are from 3 of the four largest member states (the UK did not get a Vice-Presidency, but did gain the important Trade portfolio);

[edit] Lisbon changes

Under the Treaty of Lisbon, due to be ratified by 2009, one Vice President would also be the new position of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, appointed in part by the European Council like the President.

[edit] Historical Vice Presidents

Further information: List of European Commissioners by nationality

Legend: [ ] Socialist (PES) - [ ] Liberal (ALDE) - [ ] People's (EPP-ED)

Commission	Entered office	Left office	Name	State	Party
Hallstein I
	7 January 1958	9 January 1962	Sicco L. Mansholt	Netherlands	PvdA
	7 January 1958	9 January 1962	Robert Marjolin	France	SFIO
	7 January 1958	15 September 1959	Piero Malvestiti	Italy	DC
Hallstein II
	10 January 1962	30 June 1967	Sicco L. Mansholt	Netherlands	PvdA
	10 January 1962	30 June 1967	Robert Marjolin	France	SFIO
	10 January 1962	15 May 1963	Giuseppe Caron	Italy	DC
	30 July 1964	30 June 1967	Guido Colonna	Italy	ind.
Rey
	2 July 1967	30 June 1970	Sicco L. Mansholt	Netherlands	PvdA
	2 July 1967	30 June 1970	Lionello Sandri	Italy	PSI
	2 July 1967	30 June 1970	Fritz Hellwig	West Germany	CDU
	2 July 1967	30 June 1970	Raymond Barre	France	cap
	2 July 1967	30 June 1970	Wilhelm Haferkamp	West Germany	ind.
Malfatti
	1 July 1970	21 March 1972	Sicco L. Mansholt	Netherlands	PvdA
	1 July 1970	21 March 1972	Wilhelm Haferkamp	West Germany	ind.
Mansholt
Mansholt	22 March 1972	5 January 1973	Wilhelm Haferkamp	West Germany	ind.
Ortoli
	6 January 1973	5 January 1977	Patrick Hillery	Ireland	Fianna Fáil
	6 January 1973	5 January 1977	Wilhelm Haferkamp	West Germany	SPD
	6 January 1973	5 January 1977	Henri Simonet	Belgium	PS
	6 January 1973	5 January 1977	Christopher Soames	United Kingdom	Con.
	6 January 1973	5 January 1977	Carlo Scarascia-Mugnozza	Italy	ind.
Jenkins
	6 January 1977	5 January 1981	Wilhelm Haferkamp	West Germany	SPD
	6 January 1977	5 January 1981	Henk Vredeling	Netherlands	PvdA
	6 January 1977	5 January 1981	Finn Olav Gundelach	Denmark	ind.
	6 January 1977	5 January 1981	François-Xavier Ortoli	France	Gaullista
	6 January 1977	5 January 1981	Lorenzo Natali	Italy	DCI
Thorn
	6 January 1981	5 January 1985	Christopher Tugendhat	United Kingdom	Con.
	6 January 1981	5 January 1985	François-Xavier Ortoli	France	ind.
Delors I
	6 January 1985	September 1989	Frans Andriessen	Netherlands	CDA
	6 January 1985	September 1989	Henning Christophersen	Denmark	Venstre
	6 January 1985	September 1989	Arthur Francis Cockfield	United Kingdom	Con.
	6 January 1985	September 1989	Karl-Heinz Narjes	West Germany	CDU
	6 January 1985	September 1989	Lorenzo Natali	Italy	DC
	5 January 1986	September 1989	Manuel Marín	Spain	PSOE
Delors II
	January 1988	September 1992	Frans Andriessen	Netherlands	CDA
	January 1988	September 1992	Martin Bangemann	West Germany	FDP
	January 1988	September 1992	Leon Brittan	United Kingdom	Con.
	January 1988	September 1992	Henning Christophersen	Denmark	Venstre
	January 1988	September 1992	Manuel Marín	Spain	PSOE
	January 1988	September 1992	Filippo Maria Pandolfi	Italy	DC
Delors III
	January 1992	22 January 1995	Martin Bangemann	Germany	FDP
	January 1992	22 January 1995	Leon Brittan	United Kingdom	Con.
	January 1992	22 January 1995	Henning Christophersen	Denmark	Venstre
	January 1992	22 January 1995	Manuel Marín	Spain	PSOE
	January 1992	22 January 1995	Karel Van Miert	Belgium	PS
	January 1992	22 January 1995	Antonio Ruberti	Italy	PSI
Santer
	23 January 1995	15 March 1999	Leon Brittan	United Kingdom	Con.
	23 January 1995	15 March 1999	Manuel Marín	Spain	PSOE
Marín
Marín	16 March 1999	15 September 1999	Leon Brittan	United Kingdom	Con.
Prodi
	16 September 1999	21 November 2004	Neil Kinnock	United Kingdom	Labour
	16 September 1999	21 November 2004	Loyola de Palacio	Spain	PP
Barroso
	22 November 2004	incumbent	Margot Wallström	Sweden	SDWP
	22 November 2004	incumbent	Günter Verheugen	Germany	PSD
	22 November 2004	incumbent	Jacques Barrot	France	UMP
	22 November 2004	incumbent	Siim Kallas	Estonia	ERP
	22 November 2004	8 May 2008	Franco Frattini	Italy	FI
	9 May 2008	incumbent	Antonio Tajani	Italy	FI