Move to change presidency rota

Date: 05/10/1995

By Rory Watson

THE European summit in Madrid in December is likely to be presented with moves to end the six-month rotating European Union presidency.

Pressure is growing to replace the 40-year-old system, already under strain, before the Union expands to include as many as 20 members.

There is strong support in the Reflection Group, which is chaired by the Spanish European Affairs Minister Carlos Westendorp, for the idea of replacing the current system of giving each country a six-month stint at the helm of EU business, in largely alphabetical order, with a rotating collective presidency.

Ambassador Niels Ersbøll, the Danish representative in Westendorp's group, confirmed after its meeting this week: “At present this is the only concrete proposal on the table about the EU presidency in the Reflection Group.”

The most likely substitute is a four-country collective presidency which would run for a year, with each government given responsibility for specific areas of EU policy.

Supporters of the idea believe it would improve coordination between member states and inject more European and less national sentiments into the organisation of EU business.

It would also provide some insurance against the present threat of ineffectual presidencies when governments are paralysed by domestic elections and give a greater sense of continuity to the Union's relations with the rest of the world.

Advocates of change say the emphasis on teamwork would compensate for the inexperience of new member states.