The European Parliament is expected to approve the next European Commission in a vote tomorrow, ending months of uncertainty that has stalled policy-making in the bloc.
Approval will allow the executive that drafts and enforces EU laws to take office more than three months later than scheduled, and just as concerns deepen about fiscal stability in member states such as Greece, Portugal and Spain.
Parliament's backing is now considered a formality after a positive response from the assembly to Bulgaria's nominee, Kristalina Georgieva, who had a hearing on Feb. 3.
Georgieva, a former World Bank official, replaced Bulgaria's original candidate for humanitarian aid commissioner, Rumiana Jeleva, who withdrew her name after strong opposition to her appointment from the Socialists and Greens.
"We feel very confident that the Commission will be approved by a very substantial majority in the parliament," Bob Fitzhenry, a spokesman for the European People's Party, the largest group in the 736-member assembly, said on Monday.
The new commission will include Social Policy Minister John Dalli, who is expected to resign from the Maltese Parliament later this week. Parliament will be adjourned while a casual election to fill his seat is held.
The 27-person Commission -- one representative from each EU member state -- should have taken office in November, but its appointment was held up by delays in winning approval for the EU's Lisbon reform treaty, by disagreements over the nomination of two new senior EU posts and then by Jeleva's withdrawal.
As a result, some of the Commission's powers -- including its ability to initiate new legislation -- have effectively been frozen, undermining its ability to project itself as a strong decision-making body for the EU and its 500 million citizens.
"The long delay in having people in place has become a problem when it comes to reacting quickly to challenges on the international level," Antonio Missiroli, an analyst at the European Policy Centre, said last week.
"And we'll still have to wait a few weeks for the Commission to be fully operational on the international scene."
ECONOMIC FOCUS
The next Commission, which will serve for five years, will again be led by Jose Manuel Barroso of Portugal, who won backing from EU leaders for a second term as president in June last year and secured parliamentary support for the job on Sept. 16.
Barroso has put economic affairs at the centre of his agenda, with a focus on what is called the 2020 strategy, a 10-year plan to reinvigorate the EU economy through innovation and investment in technology and job creation.
But there will also be a focus on financial sector reform and market regulation, a portfolio to be headed by Michel Barnier, a former French foreign minister.
Barnier's nomination caused consternation in Britain, Europe's top financial centre, where banks and other industries fear losing dominance if reined in by excess regulation.
Other high-profile portfolios include competition, headed by Spain's Joaquin Almunia, the outgoing commissioner in charge of economic and monetary affairs. Almunia will have oversight of mergers, acquisitions and anti-competitive behaviour.
Replacing him in monetary affairs will be Finland's Olli Rehn, who will be in the forefront of efforts to shore up Greece in the face of its spiralling debt problems, and prevent the crisis spreading to Portugal, Spain, Italy and other states.
Mr Dalli will assume responsibility for health and consumer affairs. The former Maltese commissioner, Joe Borg, was responsible for fisheries and maritime affairs.