The European Commission in a period of change: A new administration for a new European Union?

Over the past five years, the European Commission has undergone what are probably the most significant reforms since its inception. The article provides a brief review and assessment of these administrative reforms, before looking at the political changes and challenges arising from the processes of constitutionalisation and enlargement. The entry of ten new Member States in particular has created additional pressures and demands, but also provides new opportunities to review and revise the workings of the Commission to enable it to adapt to an enlarged Union. This article sets out to examine the position of the Commission at this important juncture. It looks at the ongoing process of internal reforms in the European Commission and assesses their impact on the institution, considers the process of treaty reform and its implications for the Commission, and then reviews the wider impact of enlargement on the Commission and on the European Union as a whole. By way of conclusion, we assess the current and future challenges facing the incoming Commission under its new President Barroso.