... 20 Commissioners (members of Commission) who provide the political leadership and direction for the organization. Today the 20 members include two (2) from the larger EU countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and one (1) from each of the other Member States (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, Portugal & Greece). At present five (5) of the members of the Commission are women, which is more than it has ever had. This goes along with the increased gender balance that the European Union as a whole is striving for. To help the 20 Commissioners, around 15.000 people work on as the Commission staff, making this the largest institution within the European Union. But the employment total is however modest given the wide range of responsibilities of the Commission and the fact that their work is essential to the Commission because of its need to reach all ...

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