Commissoner Kyprianou quits to become new Cypriot foreign minister[de] 

The announcement was made on 28 February, shortly after Dimitris Christofias was sworn in as new Cypriot president. Christofias' election has revived hopes of reunification on the divided island, which was split in 1974 following Turkey's invasion to counter Greek ambitions to annex Cyprus (EurActiv 25/02/08). 

"It has always been Kyprianou's dream to negotiate the reunification of Cyprus and he has always kept one eye at home throughout his time in Brussels," a senior Commission source told Reuters.

Kyprianou was appointed EU commissioner for health and consumer affairs in May 2004 when Cyprus joined the Union, but had to cede half of his portfolio following Bulgaria's entry to the bloc, which led to the nomination of Meglena Kuneva as consumer affairs commissioner. 

His resignation will be effective as soon as Cyprus nominates a replacement to the EU, which will then have to be approved by all member states by qualified majority. The replacement should be announced "in the coming days", said a Cypriot spokesperson to the EU. 

According to Cypriot press, that person is likely to be national Cypriot MP Androulla Vassiliou, wife of former Cypriot president George Vassiliou, who led the island from 1988 to 1993. The new Commissioner will only stay in office for 18 months as the current Commission mandates ends in autumn 2009.

The Commission may also lose another member if Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini decides to stand in Italy's general election in April. Frattini is expected to annouce his decision on March 10. 

Under the bloc's current rules, each of the 27 member states is entitled to one commissioner's post. The new Lisbon treaty, which is to be ratified by all member states and expected to come into force in 2009, will reduce the number of commissioners to 18 by 2014, allowing only two thirds of the member states to send a commissioner to Brussels. 

The successor Commission to President Jose Manuel Barroso's will be chosen following European Parliament elections in June 2009.