EU gets new Commissioner as Croatia joins

(BRUSSELS) - The European Union named a new Commissioner Thursday with the appointment of Croatia's Neven Mimica as the country prepares to become the bloc's 28th member on July 1.

Mimica was formally appointed Commissioner-designate for consumer protection, meaning he will have a seat at the top table of the EU's executive arm which oversees administration and implementation of policy.

A statement said European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso had confirmed the choice, which now goes to EU member states and the European Parliament for approval.

The consumer protection portfolio is at the moment held by EU Health Commissioner Tonio Borg, from Malta. Each EU member state automatically gets a Commissioner position.

Mimica, 59, currently Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Croatia, began his career in the late 1970s with the then Yugoslav foreign service and subsequently entered politics.