The EU has appointed a green tsar as part of its new executive team in a bid to get Europe to lead the global fight against climate change.

Denmark's Connie Hedegaard is a newcomer to the newly appointed 27-strong European Commission team, the powerful body that draws up laws and policies for the EU's 500 million citizens.

"This is a big innovation," said Commission President José Manuel Barroso. "We have to mainstream climate action in lots of new policy areas and to make it more visible. That's why it deserves to have a dedicated commissioner. We'll have to keep working on this with the Americans, Chinese, Russians, even after Copenhagen," he added, referring to next month's global climate change summit in Denmark.

Dutch Commissioner Neelie Kroes, renowned for taking on corporate giants like Microsoft, will return for another five years to sink her teeth into Europe's telecoms and digital industry. Although this is a less meaty role for her, officials say it is an important consumer-focussed job that is set to become more important as copyright issues grow.

Power tactics
Commission President José Manuel Barroso looked visibly pleased as he unveiled his new line-up on Friday following weeks of behind-the-scenes dealings and speculation. In a nod to rumours that he had been under heavy pressure from national capitals, he said: "It's me who makes the decides on these jobs. And it's not about countries, it's about individuals."

Mr Barroso cleverly outmanoeuvred Paris and Berlin by giving two of the most-coveted posts - economy and competition - to Finland's Olli Rehn and Spain's Joaquin Almunia respectively. Germany and France had been lobbying fiercely for key jobs as a means of boosting their influence, and will now get the energy and internal markets posts instead.

The President also successfully lobbied for more women. Just three weeks ago, there were only three commissioners in the line-up, a number that has now risen to nine. Speaking to RNW last month, Neelie Kroes said it was "essential" that women were represented in these top posts as women represent 52 per cent of the EU's population.

Shady past?
However, the new team is not yet home and dry. The European Parliament has the power to reject it and has vowed to scrutinise every one of the Commissioners during its hearings next month.

In particular, its members might have issues with the reported Communist ties of the Czech and Hungarian Commissioners. The EU's new foreign policy boss and Commission vice-president, Catherine Ashton, is also set to get a grilling for her role in an anti-nuclear, far-left movement during her youth.