Barroso attacks critics’ motion as ‘unfair, unjustified and absurd’

By Martin Banks

Date: 26/05/05

EUROPEAN Commission President José Manuel Barroso appeared before the European Parliament yesterday (25 May) to attack his critics, describing a censure motion as "unfair, unjustified and absurd". They had, he said, "crossed the line between democracy and demagoguery".

MEPs will not vote on the motion of censure of the Commission until the next Parliamentary session in Strasbourg, 6-9 June, but Barroso appears in no danger since he has been assured of the backing of the Parliament's four largest groups.

The debate was opened by Nigel Farage, co-leader of the Independency and Democracy group.

He said the supporters of the motion were not all opponents of the EU but believed in Parliament holding the Commission to account.

"We want the European Parliament to stand up for once and do its job," he said.

It was Farage's written question about hospitality received by commissioners which forced disclosure last month of Barroso's holiday in August on the yacht of Spiros Latsis, a Greek shipping magnate.

Farage pointed out that Latsis's companies had benefited from EU funding and said that one had been shortlisted last week for an EU-backed motorway project. A member of Barroso's Bureau of Economic Policy Advisers "speaks for the Latsis Foundation", he added.

But Barroso was defiant. He said that his friendship with Latsis dated back to before he became a politician. He said this was "no basis" for suspecting a possible conflict of interest. He branded the motion an attempt to undermine the credibility of his Commission team, many of whom were sitting behind him.

"The only good thing which might come out of this affair is if you parliamentarians censure the censors by rejecting this motion utterly," he said.

Hans-Gert Pöttering, leader of the European People's Party (EPP-ED), dismissed the motion as an attempt to discredit the EU on the eve of the French referendum on the EU constitution.

The Socialist group leader Martin Schulz, agreed, saying: "This motion is just for show."

Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, said: "Europe needs builders, not a demolition job."

There were, he said, "plenty of other means to raise concerns of conflicts of interest that do not require the use of a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

The Greens said Barroso's difficulties stemmed from taking on responsibility for competition issues in shipping matters, which the Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes could not police because of her past involvement in related companies.

"This is a consequence of keeping Kroes in her post," said Monica Frassoni.

Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström promised that the Commission would supply details of all gifts over the value of € 100 given to Barroso and his team since they took office.

Article reports from a European Parliament debate in which European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, defended himself against a motion of censure, to be voted on by MEPs at the plenary session on 6-9 June 2005. The Eurosceptic Independence and Democracy (ID) group had put down the motion, wanting to question Commission President José Manuel Barroso about accepting a gift of hospitality. The four largest Parliamentary groups did not support the motion.

European Commission: Press Release: SPEECH/05/299 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/05/299&format=HTML&aged=0&language=FR&guiLanguage=en

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