Caretaker Commission

Scofflaw

Lisbon having been signed, but not having come into force, the question over the composition of the European Commission (Nice rules or Lisbon rules?) obviously needs to be sorted out.

As far as I know, this is the official position:

The mandate of the current Commission ended on the 31st of October. As members of the new College will not be able to take office immediately and following the principle of public service continuity, the present College is staying on as a "Caretaker Commission" beyond the period of its mandate to deal with "current business." Current business (or "affaires courantes", as it is often called by the French term) covers all daily management issues as well as ongoing issues that do not require a new initiative or a sensitive political decision. It is in the Commission's interest that the new College takes office as soon as possible, as only a new College will have the full political legitimacy to propose new legislation and to take decisions on sensitive matters. It should be stressed that the current situation is certainly not without precedent: In January 1995 the Delors Commission stayed on for two weeks and in November 2004 the Prodi Commission did so for three weeks.

In other words, they'll be able to stay on and manage existing business, but not to undertake anything new. If we recall, that was the point made in answer to No proponents' views that we could have "retained Nice and refused to accept anything less than a full Commission".

cordially,
Scofflaw