28/01/2000 (Agence Europe)

During Friday's debate on the Commission's opinion on the IGC (see yesterday's EUROPE, pages 4 and 5), the president of the EPP/ED group, German national Hans-Gert Pöttering (CDU), mainly asked what solution concerning the number of Commissioners finds favour with the Commission, how the IGC agenda may be enlarged and whether the Commission is ready to commit itself with the Parliament along this road. (Furthermore, he deplored the statement made by Mr Kinnock to a newspaper in which he said that the postponement of the Commission declaration on the strategic guidelines was a "small game on the part of the European Parliament"). For the number of Commissioners, explained Mr Prodi, two possibilities have been left open so that the other institutions may be able to take part in the debate on this essential issue. Mr Barnier said that, in reading the Commission's opinion, it appears that all the questions are tackled, far beyond the Amsterdam leftovers, which is in itself an opening to a broad agenda. As far as

the College is concerned, "there are differences of opinion between us that we cannot hide. But this formula, with its two options, also has pedagogical value in so far as it causes debate", he specified. The Social Group president, Enrique Baron Crespo, from Spain, felt the fundamental question was democratic and effective functioning of the institutions. Mr Baron insisted on extending codecision and asked whether the Commission is ready to seek a common political line with the EP. "Without close cooperation and real unity of action we shall not have results from the IGC", Mr Prodi answered. Commissioner Barnier stressed the link established by the Commission between the new qualified majority in Council and co-decision by the EP. Liberal Vice-President Bertel Haarder welcomed the Commission's proposals regarding transparency. The Danish MEP also asked whether the future composition of the Commission would allow all the countries to be represented in turn or whether there would be countries that will alway

s be represented within the College. President Prodi repeated that the solution of 20 Commissioners implies rotation, which means that all countries, even Italy and France, will not have a Commissioner during certain periods. The Belgian co-president of the Greens/ALE group, Paul Lannoye, is said to have hoped for more ambition on certain points. He cited the case of qualified majority, which would certainly be extended but with exceptions such as taxation policy. Mr Barnier said he was surprised at Mr Lannoye's remark. "To be perfectly frank, if you read this text objectively, you will see more ideas in it than small technical proposals. On taxation, we shall no doubt find in some countries that our proposals are extremely bold", he said, before going on to stress that "on this point we proposed that qualified majority should apply to the tax questions that are important for the correct functioning of the market". Speaking on behalf of the United Left/NGL group, German national Sylvia Kaufmann insisted on t

he importance of the Charter of Fundamental Rights as well as on the need to obtain indepth reform, and said she did not understand why unanimity would be kept for social issues. Mr Barnier replied that the Commission is very attached to the development of the EU's human dimension, and also stressed that the choice of "State/citizens" double majority for the Council must make it possible to contribute to real reduction of democratic deficit. The president of the Union for a Europe of Nations Group, French national Charles Pasqua, opposed the approach which consists of making unanimity an exception, and insisted on the need to consult and involve citizens in decisions taken. Mr Barnier repeated that the Commission hoped there would be a broad debate and would be organising it. Belgian Radical Olivier Dupuis, elected in Italy on the Bonino list, welcomed certain bold proposals but felt that only the election of the Commission President by universal suffrage would make it possible to give any weight back to the

Commission, which is very weakened since the fall of the Santer Commission. Mr Prodi replied that the new Commission had undertaken its reform in order to strengthen the institution. He added that this is important for the Parliament also: "Either we shall both win, or we shall both lose". Speaking for the Europe of Democracies and Diversities Group, Jens-Peter Bonde, who noted criticism of Commissioner Nielson in an internal document at the Commission, asked: "Who runs the Commission, the Commissioners or the officials?" "The Commission is a political body, and the administration must have certain independence for implementing decisions. I intend to strengthen the political nature of the Commission", replied Mr Prodi.

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