Pöttering’s EPP-ED bids for more control under next Commission

By Martin Banks

Date: 16/09/04

THE European Parliament's biggest political group will insist on tougher Parliamentary control of the Commission before it endorses the new executive in a vote next month.

This is one of ten demands the centre-right European People's Party (EPP-ED) says must be met before it gives its blessing to the Commission led by José Manuel Barroso, which takes up office on 1 November. Barroso was the EPP-ED's choice to succeed Romano Prodi but this has not stopped it putting forward a list of demands to the Portuguese former premier.

These include:

• An assurance that Commission presence at plenary and committee meetings will take precedence over all other commitments;
• the Commission agrees to apply elements of the EU constitution ahead of its ratification, notably the principle of subsidiarity;
• where individual commissioners resign before the end of their mandates, successors can only take over after a Parliamentary hearing;
• better informing of Parliament on the course of negotiations over legislation and international agreements;
• immediate informing of national parliaments on draft legislation, and;
• a code of practice on how senior civil servants are appointed.

EPP-ED leader Hans-Gert Pöttering stresses that although the Commission and Parliament "are allies since both defend Europe as a community", "the Parliament's task is to control the Commission".

The EPP-ED wants the support of other political groups to adopt a resolution before Parliament votes on the new Commission next month.

The commissioners-designate will be asked whether they agree with these demands when they appear before confirmation hearings at the Parliament, starting on 27 September.

"I hope to give Barroso and his new Commission our blessing but only on the basis of a strengthened Parliamentary system," said Pöttering.

Socialist group leader Martin Schulz said his party supported the basic thrust of the EPP-ED call for more Parliamentary control.

A spokesman for the Greens said he expected his group would agree with it "in principle".

The European Parliament's largest political group, the EPP-ED, has presented a list of demands to José Manuel Barroso, designated President of the European Commission, including tougher Parliamentary control of the Commission.

EPP-ED: Homepage http://www.epp-ed.org/home/en/default.asp

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