On 4 November 2004, Frattini he was named by Silvio Berlusconi to take up the Justice and security portfolio in the European Commission, in place of the controversial Rocco Buttiglione, whose appointment had been rejected by the European Parliament.
The appointment of Frattini to the European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security raised concerns from the British Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, due to accusations of belonging to Freemasonry, raised by Buttiglione himself towards Frattini and denied by the latter.
Frattini was also afforded one of the five seats as vice-president of the European Commission.

In the 2007 tax return, his Italian tax base was zero because his income as a European Commissioner was taxed in Brussels.

In February 2006 during the Danish cartoons row Frattini defended the media's freedom of speech, though did express disagreement with subject of the cartoons.

November saw the commissioner's concern for child welfare extended to video games, calling for tougher controls; anything relating to stricter self-regulation to an outright ban In 2007 he called for a ban on the horror title Rule of Rose, and criticised the EU-endorsed PEGI system for granting the game a 16-years-or-over age rating.
Reports on GameSpot showed he was seeking a Europe-wide ban on violent videogames.
On 6 February 2007 – Safer Internet Day 2007 – Frattini recalled the need to protect children's rights, saying: "I am deeply concerned at this potential harm by the internet to children.
This could involve people preying on them or children accessing racist, cruel or violent material."

At the start of 2007, Frattini backed an Italian push for EU support of a worldwide ban on the death penalty.

In April 2007 he has called for more powers to be given to Eurojust, with the power to initiate prosecutions with a European Public Prosecutor.

Following the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack he criticised the handling of Islam by member-states and called for a "European Islam".

Interviewed by Reuters he declared his intention to promote online communications monitoring and censorship of "dangerous words" like "bomb, kill, genocide or terrorism".

As European Commissioner he promoted a "visa facilitation agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation" (2007/340/EC: Council Decision of 19 April 2007), which however led to the expulsion of countless citizens Europeans domiciled for a long time in Russia on the basis of annual visas, which due to the introduction by the agreement of a limit of stay in the territory of maximum 90 days out of 180 were forced to leave the country, not being able to reside on the spot on the basis of unlimited annual visas as happened in the past.
Article 5 of the law of the Russian Federation 25/7/2002 n.115, provides in fact the limit of 90 days of stay only to those who are not subject to the visa regime, but the agreement drawn up by Frattini extends this limit to all the citizens of the Union.

In 2008 Frattini left in unpaid leave as Commissioner to run for election in Italy.
He did not directly resign from his Commissioner post, to avoid that his successor be appointed by the out-going Prodi II Cabinet.
He only resigned as Commissioner after taking up the position of Foreign Minister in the Berlusconi IV.

The role of European Commissioner from Italy was then assigned to Antonio Tajani, with responsibility for transports rather than for justice.

Frattini was the second ever European Commissioner from Italy to choose Italian over European politics, after the resignation of Franco Maria Malfatti in 1972.

During his term as European Commissioner, Frattini was also appointed by the Prime Minister Berlusconi to the coordination of assistance from the government for the conduct of the Winter Olympics in Turin 2006
On 4 November 2004, Frattini he was named by Silvio Berlusconi to take up the Justice and security portfolio in the European Commission, in place of the controversial Rocco Buttiglione, whose appointment had been rejected by the European Parliament. The appointment of Frattini to the European Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security raised concerns from the British Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford, due to accusations of belonging to Freemasonry, raised by Buttiglione himself towards Frattini and denied by the latter. Frattini was also afforded one of the five seats as vice-president of the European Commission.
In the 2007 tax return, his Italian tax base was zero because his income as a European Commissioner was taxed in Brussels.
In February 2006 during the Danish cartoons row Frattini defended the media's freedom of speech, though did express disagreement with subject of the cartoons.
November saw the commissioner's concern for child welfare extended to video games, calling for tougher controls; anything relating to stricter self-regulation to an outright ban In 2007 he called for a ban on the horror title Rule of Rose, and criticised the EU-endorsed PEGI system for granting the game a 16-years-or-over age rating. Reports on GameSpot showed he was seeking a Europe-wide ban on violent videogames. On 6 February 2007 – Safer Internet Day 2007 – Frattini recalled the need to protect children's rights, saying: "I am deeply concerned at this potential harm by the internet to children. This could involve people preying on them or children accessing racist, cruel or violent material."
At the start of 2007, Frattini backed an Italian push for EU support of a worldwide ban on the death penalty.
In April 2007 he has called for more powers to be given to Eurojust, with the power to initiate prosecutions with a European Public Prosecutor.
Following the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack he criticised the handling of Islam by member-states and called for a "European Islam".
Interviewed by Reuters he declared his intention to promote online communications monitoring and censorship of "dangerous words" like "bomb, kill, genocide or terrorism".
As European Commissioner he promoted a "visa facilitation agreement between the European Community and the Russian Federation" (2007/340/EC: Council Decision of 19 April 2007), which however led to the expulsion of countless citizens Europeans domiciled for a long time in Russia on the basis of annual visas, which due to the introduction by the agreement of a limit of stay in the territory of maximum 90 days out of 180 were forced to leave the country, not being able to reside on the spot on the basis of unlimited annual visas as happened in the past. Article 5 of the law of the Russian Federation 25/7/2002 n.115, provides in fact the limit of 90 days of stay only to those who are not subject to the visa regime, but the agreement drawn up by Frattini extends this limit to all the citizens of the Union.
In 2008 Frattini left in unpaid leave as Commissioner to run for election in Italy. He did not directly resign from his Commissioner post, to avoid that his successor be appointed by the out-going Prodi II Cabinet. He only resigned as Commissioner after taking up the position of Foreign Minister in the Berlusconi IV.
The role of European Commissioner from Italy was then assigned to Antonio Tajani, with responsibility for transports rather than for justice.
Frattini was the second ever European Commissioner from Italy to choose Italian over European politics, after the resignation of Franco Maria Malfatti in 1972.
During his term as European Commissioner, Frattini was also appointed by the Prime Minister Berlusconi to the coordination of assistance from the government for the conduct of the Winter Olympics in Turin 2006
Franco Frattini