Row over Commissioners’ powers delays publication of EU job creation report

Date: 15/04/1999

By Simon Coss

PLANS to publish a European Commission report on job creation in the EU have been delayed because of arguments over whether the caretaker team now running the institution can present such a document.

Acting Social Affairs Commissioner Pádraig Flynn was originally due to unveil a paper examining how job-creation initiatives could be integrated into all areas of EU policy-making at this week's meeting of the full Commission.

But the item was withdrawn from the agenda at the last minute after several of Flynn's colleagues questioned whether Acting Commissioners actually had the authority to come forward with such texts.

When President Jacques Santer's team announced its collective resignation last month, Commissioners vowed to refrain from launching any new legislative proposals while they remained in office in a caretaker capacity.

Flynn's aides argue that the report which was due to be unveiled this week does not break this self-imposed policy embargo as it does not contain any proposals for legislation. “This amounts to 'ongoing business',” said one.

But other Commissioners' staff do not appear to share this interpretation and demanded that the plan be removed from the agenda of this week's meeting.

This is not, however, the only issue causing concern amongst Flynn's colleagues.

The disputed paper sets out a range of possibilities for future policy initiatives based on new provisions in the Amsterdam Treaty, and many critics claim Flynn is 'jumping the gun' by trying to present his report now instead of waiting until Amsterdam enters into force on 1 May. “Concerns have been raised about the timing of the plan,” said one official.

Others argue that much of what Flynn is suggesting is already covered by existing initiatives and that the plan could simply result in an increased legislative burden being imposed on EU businesses.

They maintain that the regular process of drawing up 'broad economic guidelines' for the Union and drafting the annual employment guidelines is preferable to new legislation.