Small states lobby for G7 invitation to De Silguy

Date: 30/01/1997

By Elizabeth Wise

THE figurehead of European monetary union, Economics Commissioner Yves-Thibault de Silguy, is feeling a little left out.

As the finance ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK head for Berlin next Saturday (8 February) for an exclusive gathering of the Group of Seven richest economies, the Commissioner will be left behind in Brussels.

Germany, which is hosting the meeting, has not invited De Silguy but insists no snub is intended. A Bonn spokeswoman said that inviting Commissioners was “not the usual way”, adding: “They only attend summits, not finance ministers' meetings.”

German Finance Minister Theo Waigel said this week that economic and monetary union and the introduction of the euro would not necessarily be on the formal agenda for the meeting, but he expected it to be discussed informally.

When the issue of whether De Silguy should be invited to join the European party at the G7 came up at this week's meeting of EU finance ministers, the Commissioner had two champions: Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker and Belgium's Philippe Maystadt, who declared that the European Commission should be represented at G7 gatherings.

Belgium, Luxembourg and other small EU member states have raised this issue before. Fearful that their larger partners might otherwise have undue influence, they believe a Commissioner would ensure that Washington, Ottawa and Tokyo heard a more representative version of Union opinion. But their voices were drowned out by “an order given by a big country”, according to an EU official.

Germany, it seems, assured its smaller partners that there was nothing to fear at Berlin, because G7 partners would only be holding an information session “to tell the others where we stand”.

Asked whether it was entirely fair for it to be left to France and Germany to brief the US, Canada and Japan on moves towards EMU, an EU official responded: “Well, they are well qualified to do so.”

But Juncker's intervention was not wholly in vain. “The point has been marked again, and will have to be discussed,” said the official, adding: “It may become a real issue as things on the euro side develop.”

Commission officials were this week maintaining a diplomatic silence on the issue, saying only that if De Silguy was invited, “he would certainly go”.

However, there is a growing feeling inside the Commission that as the euro is being discussed with increasing frequency in international fora such as the G7, the Commission should be included at those gatherings.