EU Commission members to be approved today

Members of the incoming EU Commission are to be formally ratified by the European Parliament today.

It ends a three-month limbo period.

The mandate of previous commissioners ran out at the end of October but problems in ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, and the rejection of Bulgaria's choice for commissioner, kept the outgoing team on in a caretaker capacity.

The 26-member policy team which includes Ireland's Maire Geoghan Quinn in the Research Innovation and Science portfolio is now ready to begin work.

However, several MEPs remain unimpressed with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, British peer Catherine Ashton -- who also becomes commission vice-president.