New Commission convenes

The newly constituted European Commission met for the first time on 5 November for a general debate on Europe’s economic challenges. The Bureau of European Policy Advisers, which advices the Commission President, was renamed as the European Political Strategy Centre. Commissioners also extended the mandate of the task force on Greece’s financial crisis to 30 June 2015.

At the Commission’s second meeting, on 12 November, members agreed to extend the deadline for payments by member states to 1 September 2015. €260 million was earmarked for loans to support Ukraine’s economy, following on from €600 million provided earlier in 2014. Commissioners are now working on how to translate Juncker’s political guidelines and the European Council’s strategic agenda for the EU into deliverable policy.