The Croatian deputy prime minister received the support of 565 MEPs, 64 were against and 64 abstained. It was a secret ballot.
Mimica's appointment now has to be formally approved by the Council of the European Union. Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn applauded the outcome of the vote on behalf of the European Commission.
Mimica was heard by the relevant EP committees on June 4 and they recommended a positive opinion on Croatia's first European commissioner. He will take up office on July 1, when Croatia joins the EU.
He intensively prepared for the hearings, becoming well-acquainted with the topics of his future portfolio. He was also forming his staff, which will have seven members, including several Croats, and ten more people in administration.
Mimica said his chief of staff would be a German citizen who helped him a lot during the preparations for the hearings, and that he would try to include as many Croatian experts as possible.
Mimica was nominated as a European commissioner by the Croatian government. European Commissioner Jose Manuel Barroso accepted the nomination and assigned Mimica the consumer protection portfolio.
Until now, consumer protection was within the health and consumer policy portfolio, which was led by Commissioner Tonio Borg of Malta. It is now split in two, with Borg leading the health portfolio and Mimica consumer protection.