The new 27-member team leading the EU Executive for the coming five years got the green light by the European Parliament yesterday.
Almost 70 per cent of MEPs endorsed the new Commission, which includes Malta's John Dalli, who will lead the health and consumer policy portfolio.
Following a presentation by José Manuel Barroso, who will be leading the Commission for a second term, 488 MEPs voted in favour, 137 against and 72 abstained during a vote taken at the Strasbourg plenary.
All Malta's five MEPs voted in favour of the Commission, same as the deputies from the largest three political groups in the EP: the Christian-Democrats, the Socialists and the Liberals. On the other hand, the Greens and some Eurosceptic groups voted against.
The 27 commissioners, one from every member state, start their official mandate today after taking their oath of office at the seat of the European Court in Luxemburg.
The mandate of the new Commission will last until the end of October 2014, four months short of the normal five-year term due to the postponement of its appointment.
It first had to wait for the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty and then a last-minute change in the Bulgaria nominee after intense pressure from MEPs.
During his presentation, Mr Barroso urged the 736-member Assembly to back his Commission choices and laid out some of his aims.
"The broad priorities are clear: making a successful exit from the crisis; leading on climate action and energy efficiency; boosting new sources of growth and social cohesion to renew our social market economy," he said.
Without going into specifics, Mr Barroso backed calls by MEPs for EU governments to agree to a much closer coordination of economic and social rules to prevent the spread of financial meltdowns in the eurozone, such as the one in Greece.
Mr Barroso has made Europe's economic recovery, under the banner of a 10-year job and growth programme called the 2020 Strategy, the broad focus of the next Commission's work.
Mr Dalli yesterday sent a letter to the Prime Minister announcing his resignation from Cabinet with effect from today.
He is also expected to write to the Speaker to give up his seat in the House of Representatives, ending his long political career in Malta.
Tomorrow, he will start occupying new offices on the 11th floor of the Berlymont building - the headquarters of the Commission in central Brussels - accompanied by an eight-member team of personal advisers, including former Commissioner Joe Borg's deputy chief of staff Joanna Darmanin and Alternattiva Demokratika's former chairman Harry Vassallo.
Mr Dalli will be taking up residence in Brussels although he is expected to commute regularly to Malta and Libya to see his family.
At the end of yesterday's Parliamentary sitting, Acting Speaker Carmelo Abela read Mr Dalli's letter of resignation. Mr Abela thanked Mr Dalli for his work and augured him well during his term at the EC. He was joined by Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg and Labour MP George Vella.