Welcome to Hill & Knowlton’s guide to the First 100 Days of the new European Commission!

Towards the end of May 2010, the new European Commission quietly celebrated 100 days in office. To mark this symbolic milestone, Hill & Knowlton is pleased to present you with an analysis of the most significant actions of the “Barroso II” Commission to date, and a look ahead to what to expect in the coming months and years.

 

If a week is a long time in politics, 100 days must seem like an eternity to many of the 27 Commissioners, several of whom have taken over newly created or reshuffled portfolios. While some high profile initiatives were already in the pipeline - such as the launch of the “Europe 2020” strategy for green growth and jobs, a revamped Digital Agenda for Europe and an all new European External Action Service – other developments that would keep the new administration very busy in its “honeymoon period” could only have been fully anticipated by the most expert of economists and volcanologists.

 

The Greek sovereign debt crisis has threatened to have a profound impact on the eurozone as a whole and has led to the establishment of an unprecedentedly large rescue mechanism to stabilize the euro. This has led to discussions on the nature and scope of economic governance at EU level that would not have been conceivable even six months ago.

 

Meanwhile, the eruption of an ash cloud from Iceland played havoc with transport systems across Europe in April. This not only complicated the travel plans of individual Commissioners. It also raised questions on the role of Europe’s executive arm in ensuring the safety of European skies and guaranteeing passenger rights, while at the same time avoiding unnecessary further damage to the EU economy.

 

Our guide to an eventful first 100 days for President Barroso includes a report card on each member of his new team, reflecting on their achievements since taking office and looking forward to the challenges they are likely to face over the rest of their mandate. In addition, in a series of longer articles we provide a more in-depth analysis of important cross-cutting policy areas including Foreign Affairs, Economic and Monetary Policy, Energy and Environment, Food and Consumer, and the Digital economy. 

 

All these can be found on our interactive webpage by clicking on the links on the bar to the right of this page. 

 

Happy reading!

 

Jeroen van Seeters
CEO, Hill & Knowlton International Belgium s.a./n.v.
CEO, Benelux