In early January, as President Ursula von der Leyen was recovering from pneumonia, the European Commission discreetly revamped its internal structure by establishing project groups.

These groups are meant to redirect focus from extensive departmental divisions to targeted priority areas and essential legislative initiatives, with each group functioning under a renewable one-year mandate.

The revamped structure seeks to enhance internal coordination and decision-making by empowering individual Commissioners to oversee specific projects.

For instance, the responsibility for agriculture has been assigned to Commissioner Christophe Hansen, who now heads the Vision for Agriculture and Food project group.

Likewise, Lithuanian Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has been given the task of developing the European Defence Union, a role that was previously overseen by the EU’s chief diplomat.

Alongside the workflow reorganization, the Commission has also broadened its transparency efforts.

Starting from January first, records of interactions between lobbyists and senior officials are now made publicly available, involving around one thousand five hundred officials, a step designed to enhance accountability.

This restructuring aligns with President von der Leyen’s approach to navigate an increasingly intricate portfolio and to clarify the power dynamics within the Commission in the upcoming years, while still retaining her ability to chair meetings personally whenever she finds it necessary.