Cabinet Diversity and Policy Outcomes in the European Commission

This paper explores the backgrounds of cabinet staff members in the European Commission since 2004 and analyses the relationship between cabinet composition and policy outcomes. Although cabinet composition has become an increasingly regulated domain in recent decades, cabinets remain a key area for European Commissioners to personalise their support teams. The selection of cabinet members is therefore important, as cabinet members serve as both special advisors to Commissioners, as well as vertical and horizontal conduits for information within the College of Commissioners and related DGs. Using novel data collected for the backgrounds of all cabinet members since the first Barroso Commission, we examine how the post-2004 EU enlargement and advent of administrative reforms meant to ‘de-nationalise’ the selection of support staff has led to a growing diversification of cabinet members. We then trace the link between cabinet composition and the complexity and character of Commission proposals to determine the extent to which the cabinet diversity may affect the policy proposals that go on to shape key pieces of EU legislation.