Council and Commission clash over Russia

A dispute between the European Commission and the Council of Ministers over negotiations with Russia has beset efforts to deepen ties with the EU’s energy-rich neighbour.

The dispute is over which institution should lead talks on a new agreement with Russia, which had been expected to begin in November.

Diplomats have described the dispute between the two institutions as "unhelpful".

The dispute has called into question the EU’s ability to agree on a common stance in time for an EU-Russia summit on 24 November.

Usually, the Commission is given a mandate by the member states to negotiate with other countries on behalf of the EU.

But in this case, the Council will get an enhanced role. Although no overall agreement has been finalised, a deal on competences will see EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana play a bigger part in the talks.

"This will be something more visible," one diplomat said of Solana’s new role, "although not as visible as it would have been if the [EU] constitution had been passed."

The constitution would have made Solana EU foreign minister with significant powers to initiate policy.

Solana is now expected to play a role in those policies that are intergovernmental. In practice he is likely take a particular role in negotiations on issues related to EU foreign policy and judicial co-operation.

The mandate will now "reflect developments in the EU, including in European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)", said one official.

A Commission official said that there would still be a "single negotiator… with the Commission in the overall lead".

The Commission had upset many member states and the Council secretariat when it put forward its proposals for talks with Russia.

Many complained that the Commission’s proposed mandate was too vague.

There had also been criticism that Commission did not ask for input from the Council’s policy unit, although one diplomat rejected these accusations.

"You cannot say that, that is not true, the Council secretariat did not turn up [although] they were invited to meetings. Neither side consulted the other."

Another diplomat said the disagreement was due to the "high ambitions of some actors in some buildings in the Schuman area".

Diplomats expressed the hope that there could still be an agreement in time for the EU-Russia summit, allowing talks with Russia to begin early in 2007.

The negotiations, which will see an overhaul of the existing 1997 agreement, are expected to focus heavily on energy, international co-operation and efforts to solve conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

The text is also expected to include a free trade agreement, part of the Commission’s efforts to promote regional trade agreements after the collapse of talks at the World Trade Organisation.

On Wednesday (4 October) the Commission is expected to adopt its proposals to create such trade deals, as part of a paper on external competitiveness.

A dispute between the European Commission and the Council of Ministers over negotiations with Russia has beset efforts to deepen ties with the EU’s energy-rich neighbour.