Are some more equal than others?

Date: 21/03/1996

IT is being billed as the battle of the giants. But the success or failure of the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference could well turn on the impending struggle between the EU's Davids and Goliaths.

While much of the attention in the run-up to the IGC has focused on disagreements between the largest member states over the future development of the Union, there are signs that a looming power struggle between the so-called 'big five' and the EU's smallest countries could have equally far-reaching consequences.

While there is widespread consensus that the Union's institutions must be streamlined before member states can contemplate further enlargement, that consensus breaks down as soon as the discussion turns to precisely how this should be achieved.

Small member states, fearing over-bearing domination by the Union's powerhouses, have declared they will fight any proposals for reform which might weaken their influence, insisting the existing balance of power must remain unchanged.

Many have declared their opposition to calls for the size of the Commission to be reduced by removing the automatic right of member states to nominate at least one Commissioner each. They have also expressed doubts about moves to change the weighting of votes in the Council of Ministers to reflect the size of each member states' population more accurately and suggestions that the system which gives each country a turn at the rotating EU presidency should be reformed.

Their fears are understandable, but so too are the arguments put forward by those who insist change is unavoidable to ensure the smooth running of a Union of 20 or more member states.

It is equally understandable that these issues have so far been largely overlooked by commentators who have focused their attention on the disagreements between the EU's biggest players over headline-grabbing issues such as qualified majority voting, the powers of the European Parliament and how to create an effective common foreign and security policy.

But while these issues may seem relatively minor to those unfamiliar with the way the EU operates, they strike at the very heart of national sensitivities about the Union in its smallest member countries and cannot be ignored. Finding compromise solutions acceptable to all will not be easy, but is essential before the EU can seriously contemplate opening its doors to the countries now queuing up to join.