The Council of the EU approved a list of candidates whom the EU member states proposed to appoint as European Commissioners for a term up to October 31, 2024. A day earlier, after individual interviews with candidates, this list was approved by Ursula von der Leyen, who was elected in July 2019 to the post of the new head of the European Commission, DW reported.

The UK refused to nominate its candidates for European Commissioners in connection with the UK’s planned Brexit on October 31.

Also the names of three politicians have been known on Tuesday, whom von der Leyen is going to appoint as executive vice-presidents of the European Commission. The first of these, the Dutch Social Democrat France Timmermans, will oversee environmental issues.

Margrethe Vestager, representative of Danish liberals, will become the second executive vice-chairman of the European Commission, which will focus on digital technology and competition.

Valdis Dombrovskis, a Christian Democrat from Latvia, will become the Third Executive Vice President of the European Commission. His areas of competence will be economic and social issues.

According to von der Leyen, former Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni will receive a portfolio of the European Commissioner for Economics. At the same time, the Irishman Phil Hogan will take over as trade commissioner. Czech politician Věra Jourová will receive a portfolio of the European Commissioner for Basic Values and Transparency in Europe.

The portfolio of the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and EU Enlargement Negotiations von der Leyen decided to give the Hungarian László Trócsányi.

Von der Layen decided to create a new post - European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Jutta Urpilainen from Finland will take it. According to the future chair of the EC, this position will become a key one for the countries neighboring the EU.

The energy portfolio will receive Estonian Kadri Simson.

Spaniard Josep Borrell became a candidate for the post of EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy.

Now the full composition of the European Commission, including the candidatures of its chairman and his deputy - the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - will have to be approved by the European Parliament. After that, the EC will be officially appointed by the European Council.

The European Commission has 27 members and about 32 thousand employees. The European Commission is drafting laws for the EU member states and monitors their implementation. In the new composition, the European Commission should begin its work on November 1, 2019.