Geoghegan-Quinn urges Juncker to install more women commissioners

European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has signed a letter to Commission President-designate Jean-Claude Juncker, urging him to appoint a minimum of ten women to the next European Commission.

The letter stated: “We wish to support your call for [EU] member states to support more women as new Commissioners. Over the past ten years, around one-third of European Commissioners have been women, largely because José Manuel Barroso put his foot down and insisted on this. It is also increasingly clear via research and anecdote that large organisations perform better with a diverse leadership; this corresponds with our own experience in the Barroso I and Barroso II Commissions.”

Signed by the outgoing female commissioners – including Vice-President, responsible for the Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes – the letter added: “The European Union is committed to making continual progress towards gender equality. Such progress demands an increase, not a decrease, in the number of female Commissioners, particularly as we have grown to be a family of 28 member states. We therefore urge member states to nominate at least ten female commissioners, with your support. You deserve a flying start – and with ten or more female commissioners in your team, you will get it.”

Nine out of the 28 current commissioners are female.