European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
| European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services |
|
|---|---|
| Appointer | José Manuel Barroso |
| Term length | Five years |
| Inaugural holder | Piero Malvestiti |
| Formation | 1958 |
| Salary | €19,909.89 per month |
| Website | European Commission |
The Commissioner for Internal Market and Services is a member of the European Commission. The post is currently held by Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska (European People's Party).
The portfolio concerns the development of the 480-million-strong European single market, promoting free movement of people, goods, services and capital. Thus it is clearly a leading role but has become more complex as the single market for services has developed. A large area of work is now financial services, a politically sensitive topic for some member states (notably, the UK). The Commissioner controls the Directorate-General for Internal Market and Services and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market.
Bieńkowska is a former Polish regional development minister and deputy prime minister. A self-described technocrat, she was appointed by European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
Barnier's appointment was controversial for some. His nomination came after the late 2000s recession led to criticism of bankers by many. Especially in France, there was a desire to more regulate the financial services sector, which in Europe is largely based around the City of London. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's declaration that Barnier's (then French foreign minister) appointment as Internal Market Commissioner was a "victory" produced considerable worry in the UK that France would use Barnier to push French-inspired restrictive regulation upon the UK's financial centre. Although he said that "we need to turn the page on an era of irresponsibility; we need to put transparency, responsibility and ethics at the heart of the financial system", he has tried to soothe worries in the UK and has reiterated his independence from national influence.
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