Deputy Prime Minister Neven Mimica has been named as European Commissioner-designate with the portfolio of consumer protection and is expected to take up his post on the 1st July 2013 upon Croatia's admission to the European Union and after his appointment's confirmation by the European Parliament and Council of the European Union.
The Croatian government submitted Mimica's candidacy for the post which European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso accepted and on Thursday announced the future appointment.
The portfolio of Health and Consumer Policy which has been to date led by Maltese Commissioner Tonio Borg is to be split into two sections - health which Borg will continue to head and consumer protection being assigned to Mimica.
The appointment now needs to be put to the relevant committee in the European Parliament - Internal Market and Consumer Affairs which could meet in the last week of May. After that a plenary session of the Parliament should confirm the appointment with a simple majority and this is likely to happen in June and later by common accord by the Council of the EU.
Each member state has one commission in the European Commission, and the term of the incumbent commission expires in the autumn 2014.
The Croatian government has said that Mimica does not wish to comment on the appointment until the entire process is completed.
