Juncker approves new commissioners, with a catch

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker conceded defeat in his fight against accepting new commissioners for the last few months of his term — but added a catch.

Estonia's Kadri Simson and Romania's Ioan Mircea Paşcu are now officially commissioners-designate, according to a Commission press statement. But they won't have their own portfolios due to the "short remainder of the mandate."

Juncker has been on a crusade against member states nominating replacements for commissioners who have taken up seats in the European Parliament following May's EU election. His Commission's term ends on October 31 and Juncker has argued each interim commissioner will cost EU taxpayers €1 million in relocation and pension costs for only a few months in office.

Juncker had proposed not filling the slots vacated by Estonia’s Andrus Ansip and Romania’s Corina Crețu and has reallocated their portfolios to other commissioners. But the Council of the EU on Monday rejected his plan not to fill the posts, which would have required unanimous support to pass.

Simson and Paşcu are expected to be formally appointed after consultations with the European Parliament.