Karmenu Vella is set to be named European Commissioner responsible for fisheries, according to the Euroactiv website.

The former Labour MP will be given the same responsibilities that Malta’s first European Commissioner Joe Borg was given between 2004 and 2009.

The present incumbent is Tonio Borg, who is responsible for health and consumer policy. He replaced John Dalli who resigned following an investigation by OLAF, the EU's antifraud office, into a complaint made in May 2012 by the tobacco producer, Swedish Match.

Euractiv is also reporting that Commission President-elect Jean-Claude Juncker is now almost certain to get support from the European Parliament because he has secured nine women on his team - the same number than in the current Barroso Commission. Three of them will be his deputies.

A leaked organigram obtained by EurActiv and dated 2 September shows the Juncker team should meet gender balance requests coming from the European Parliament.

The document is clearly not a final version and subject to change. Juncker is currently wrapping up a series of face-to face interviews with the 27 Commissioners-designate and is expected to announce his line up early next week.

The nine women are the following:

·         Italy – Federica Mogherini – Vice President, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (S&D);

·         Poland - Elzbieta Bienkowska - Vice President, Budget & Financial Control (EPP)

·         Slovenia - Alenka Bratušek, Vice President, Digital & Innovation (ALDE)

·         Sweden - Cecilia Malmström – Justice and Anti-Fraud (ALDE)

·         Bulgaria – Kristalina Georgieva – Taxation, Fight against Fraud (EPP)

·         Denmark – Margrethe Vetager – Environment (ALDE)

·         Czech Republic- Vera Jourová – Transport and Space – (ALDE)

·         Romania - Corina Cretu – Humanitarian Aid (S&D)

·         Belgium – Marianne Thyssen – Skills, Youth and Multilingualism (EPP)

With nine women in his team, Juncker has secured enough gender balance to satisfy demands from the European Parliament. And he may have also defused critics coming from the liberals by giving them a Vice President position.

In Parliament, the Socialist, Green and Liberal factions warned they would vote against the new team if it had fewer than nine women, Euractiv said.