Commissioners' Hearings in previous terms 

In 2004 José Manuel Barroso was nominated by the European Council on 30 June. Hearings took place from 27 September to 8 October. Three commissioners came under fire from Parliamentary committees, Rocco Buttiglione, (Italy: Justice, Freedom and Security) Ingrida Udre (Latvia: Taxation) and Laszlo Kovacs (Hungary: Energy). The vote on the Commission had been scheduled for 27 October in Strasbourg, but Barroso concluded that the first team he had put forward would not obtain enough support from MEPs, and therefore opted not to submit this team to a vote of approval by Parliament. On 4 November he presented a new team to the European Council. Rocco Buttiglione was replaced by Franco Frattini and Ingrida Udre by Andris Piebalgs. M. Kovacs stayed but was assigned the portfolio of Taxation rather than energy. New hearings were organised on 15 and 16 November for the three commissioners-designate and the Parliament approved the reshuffled Commission on 18 November 2004.

On 10 February 2010 the election of the European Commission brought to an end almost 5 months of nomination process, stalled due to delays in the ratification of the Lisbon treaty. In January 2010 Commission President José Manuel Barroso had to withdraw the candidate from Bulgaria, Ms Rumiana Jeleva, who came under fire from the EP Development Committee. She was replaced by Kristalina Georgieva and after her hearing on 3 February the Parliament approved the full Commission at the plenary in Strasbourg by 488 in favour to 137 against and 72 abstentions.