EU: EU governments have nominated more women than ever before to the European Commission, fulfilling a wish by the president-elect, Mr José Manuel Durão Barroso, for his line-up to include at least one-third female representation.
The former Portuguese prime minister had called for at least eight of his 24 fellow commissioners to be women after he was endorsed as the Commission's new president last month.
But many EU officials doubted he could reach that target.
Denmark made it seven on Monday by nominating its Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Ms Mariann Fischer Boel, as its commissioner.
Yesterday the Netherlands made up the numbers, appointing its former transport minister, Ms Neelie Kroes.
Commissioners are appointed in consultation between national leaders and the incoming Commission president. In the last two states, there was a straight male-female choice, diplomats said.
It will be the strongest female representation since the Commission, which proposes and enforces EU legislation, was created in 1957.
The outgoing team which was headed by President Romano Prodi featured seven women out of 30 members.
No government acknowledged publicly that pressure from Mr Barroso had influenced its selection, and none of the EU's big four - Germany, France, Britain and Italy - named female commissioners.
Spain also opted for a man, Mr Joaquin Almunia, despite a drive by the Prime Minister, Mr José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, for gender equality at home.
Mr Barroso is due to allocate portfolios by the last week of August, and his team takes office in November after confirmation hearings and a confidence vote in the European Parliament.
The female contingent includes senior politicians such as the Austrian Foreign Minister, Ms Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the Polish Commissioner, Ms Danuta Hübner, who oversaw Warsaw's tough preparations to join the EU, and Ms Dalia Grybauskaite, a former Lithuanian finance minister.
Staying on from the outgoing Commission are Sweden's Ms Margot Wallstrom, who holds the environment portfolio, and Luxembourg's Ms Vivianne Reding, in charge of culture and education.
Latvia named its parliamentary speaker, Ms Ingrida Udre.
EU diplomats say that the female commissioners are in contention for portfolios which range from agriculture, which accounts for 40 per cent of the EU budget, to transport, trade, humanitarian assistance and development.
But they seem unlikely to win the top economic posts which would put them in charge of competition, the internal market, economics and monetary affairs, which diplomats say appear destined for men from large states.
- (Reuters)