The European Commission, led by President Ursula von der Leyen, officially started its term on 1st of December. The mandate of the first Commission to be chaired by a woman will last for five years, until 2024.

The names of the new commissioners and their departments can be found on the Commission’s website.

In the first statements, members of the new cabinet confirmed that they would work to advance the Western Balkans region in the process of integration into the European Union.

“We need to show our friends in the Western Balkans that we share the same continent, share the same history, culture, destiny. Our doors remain open”, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“The Commission will come forward with proposals early next year to improve the process, to further upgrade the Western Balkans strategy of February 2018, to strengthen cooperation and to make the negotiation process more effective. I want a dynamic process that is not focused solely on opening up and We need to identify opportunities for closer and early integration in areas where there is a common interest”, said Enlargement and Neighborhood Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, who also called for speeding up the reform process in Serbia.