Editing European Commission (section)

===Early development===
{{Politics of the European Union}}

The three bodies, collectively named the '''European Executives''', co-existed until 1 July 1967 when, under the [[Merger Treaty]], they were combined into a single administration under President [[Jean Rey (politician)|Jean Rey]].<ref name="ENA commission history"/> Owing to the merger, the [[Rey Commission]] saw a temporary increase to 14 members—although subsequent Commissions were reduced back to nine, following the formula of one member for small states and two for larger states.<ref name="ENA composition">{{cite web |title=Composition |publisher=CVCE |url=http://www.cvce.eu/obj/composition_of_the_european_commission-en-4b39ad5f-6376-44e4-8144-07e1f84647aa.html |date=31 August 2016 |access-date=18 April 2013 |archive-date=8 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708024003/https://www.cvce.eu/obj/composition_of_the_european_commission-en-4b39ad5f-6376-44e4-8144-07e1f84647aa.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Rey Commission completed the Community's [[customs union]] in 1968 and campaigned for a more powerful, elected, [[European Parliament]].<ref name="Meet Rey">{{cite web |title=Discover the former Presidents: The Rey Commission |publisher=Europa (web portal) |url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/rey/index_en.htm |access-date=23 August 2007 |archive-date=22 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022225023/http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/rey/index_en.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite Rey being the first President of the combined communities, Hallstein is seen as the first President of the modern Commission.<ref name="ENA commission history"/>

The [[Malfatti Commission|Malfatti]] and [[Mansholt Commission]]s followed with work on monetary co-operation and the first [[Enlargement of the European Union|enlargement]] to the north in 1973.<ref name="Meet Mansholt">{{cite web |title=Discover the former Presidents: The Mansholt Commission |publisher=Europa (web portal) |url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/mansholt/index_en.htm |access-date=23 August 2007 |archive-date=23 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023032752/http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/mansholt/index_en.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Meet Malfatti">{{cite web|title=Discover the former Presidents: The Malfatti Commission|publisher=Europa (web portal)|url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/malfatti/index_en.htm|access-date=23 August 2007|archive-date=23 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023080109/http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/malfatti/index_en.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> With that enlargement, the College of Commissioners membership increased to thirteen under the [[Ortoli Commission]] (the [[United Kingdom]] as a large member was granted two Commissioners), which dealt with the enlarged community during economic and international instability at that time.<ref name="ENA composition"/><ref name="Meet Ortoli">{{cite web|title=Discover the former Presidents: The Ortoli Commission|publisher=Europa (web portal)|url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/ortoli/index_en.htm|access-date=23 August 2007|archive-date=22 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022225018/http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/ortoli/index_en.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The external representation of the Community took a step forward when President [[Roy Jenkins]], recruited to the presidency in January 1977 from his role as [[Home Secretary]] of the United Kingdom's [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] government,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/3/newsid_3287000/3287511.stm|work=BBC News|title=1977: Jenkins quits Commons for Brussels|date=3 January 1977|access-date=14 January 2012|archive-date=10 January 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110092836/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/january/3/newsid_3287000/3287511.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> became the first President to attend a [[G8]] summit on behalf of the Community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php |title=EU and the G8 |access-date=25 September 2007 |publisher=European Commission |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226165606/http://www.deljpn.ec.europa.eu/union/showpage_en_union.external.g8.php |archive-date=26 February 2007}}</ref> Following the [[Jenkins Commission (EU)|Jenkins Commission]], [[Gaston Thorn]]'s [[Thorn Commission|Commission]] oversaw the Community's enlargement to the south, in addition to beginning work on the [[Single European Act]].<ref name="Meet Thorn">{{cite web|title=Discover the former Presidents: The Thorn Commission|publisher=Europa (web portal)|url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/thorn/index_en.htm|access-date=23 August 2007|archive-date=23 October 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023013150/http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/history/thorn/index_en.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>