Presidents of the High Authority of the ECSC (prior to entry into force of Merger Treaty of 1967)
- Jean Monnet (France, 1952-1955)
- Walter Hallstein (West Germany, 1958-1967), 1st President
- Jean Ray (Belgium, 1967-1970)
- Franco Maria Malfatti (Italy, 1970-1972)
- Sicco L. Mansholt (Netherlands, 1972-1972)
- Francois-Xavier Ortoli (France, 1973-1976)
- Roy Jenkins (United Kingdom, 1977-1980)
- Gaston Edmont Thorn (Luxembourg, 1981-1984)
- Jacques Delors (France, 1985-1995)
- Jacques Santer (Luxembourg, 1994-1999), resigned
- Romano Prodi (Italy, 1999-)
Under the new European constitution, the President of the Commission will be elected by the European Council, subject to a veto by the European Parliament.