De Palacio close to deal with MEPs on code

Date: 23/03/2000

By Gareth Harding

THE European Parliament and the Commission are putting the finishing touches to a new rulebook which aims to prevent the sort of misunderstandings that have soured relations between the two bodies in recent years.

The new framework agreement is also meant to update a code of conduct which was adopted a decade ago and last modified in 1995. "As the Parliament's powers are more significant, it is important that relations with the Commission work as smoothly as possible," said one official.

A number of promises designed to achieve this were made towards the end of the Santer Commission, but new President Romano Prodi has moved much further to regain MEPs' trust. In the run-up to the Parliament's vote on his team last autumn, Prodi offered a number of concessions which are fleshed out in the draft accord.

Both sides agree that when a Commissioner loses the Parliament's confidence, the president will "examine seriously" whether to ask him or her to resign. MEPs are also calling for Commissioners to be suspended if they are charged with "serious offences," but the Commission says this would be contrary to the EU treaty.

The two bodies also disagree over how much responsibility Commissioners should accept for what happens in the institution. Vice-President Loyola de Palacio, who is negotiating on behalf of the Commission, argues this should be limited to their own services' activities, but MEPs insist that Commissioners "should not be allowed to wash their hands of responsibility for what is happening elsewhere".

However, one senior parliamentary official said MEPs had "reason to be satisfied" with the way the talks were going. He said that under the latest draft, they would gain hugely-increased powers of oversight over the Commission and information flows between the two bodies would be dramatically upgraded.

The code commits the Commission to "take the utmost account" of amendments to proposed laws adopted by MEPs, provide "prompt and sufficiently detailed" responses to requests for new proposals, and keep the assembly fully informed about new initiatives. It also commits Prodi to report to the Parliament on implementation of the annual work programme every six months, Commissioners to appear before MEPs whenever asked, and the EU executive to keep the assembly abreast of developments in the Intergovernmental Conference, Commission reform, and discussions on draft laws and international agreements.

Liberal leader Pat Cox said "considerable progress" had been made towards agreeing a new code, but warned that access to documents had emerged as a potential stumbling block. The draft text states that MEPs will be provided with all Commission documents, with a number of exemptions. MEPs insist these should be kept to a minimum, but the Commission is wary of providing too many papers to an institution which leaks like a sieve.

The European Parliament and the Commission are putting the finishing touches to a new rulebook which aims to prevent the sort of misunderstandings that have soured relations between the two bodies in recent years. The new framework agreement is also meant to update a code of conduct which was adopted a decade ago and last modified in 1995.