France in the driving seat on Convention

Date: 21/02/02

THE composition of the Convention on Europe's future has been branded 'unfair' after it emerged that France will have twice as many representatives than smaller EU member states.

The country will have 12 men and women on the body, more than any other EU state. Sweden, Luxembourg and Greece have six members each.

Next in the league table is the UK, with 11 members, followed by Germany and Italy with ten. The figures include the 100 'substitute' MEPs who will deputise for full members in their absence.

The criticism was led by Luxembourg Socialist deputy Robert Goebbels. 'Luxembourg may be the smallest of the EU member states but it's unfair it has so few representatives compared with countries like France, UK and Germany. The EU is supposed to be a union of equals but, clearly, some are more equal than others,' he said.

Swedish centre-right MEP Gunilla Carlsson agreed, saying it was a 'matter of regret' that her country will not be better represented. 'I would certainly like to have seen more than just six Swedish people...particularly when one country has double that number,' she said.

The Convention will examine how to 'reconnect' the EU with citizens who see it as distant and over-bureaucratic.

Meanwhile, Spanish deputy Ana Palacio is facing calls for her to stand down from the Convention praesidium over an apparent conflict of interests.

Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg has asked Palacio to withdraw as the country's representative saying the role conflicts with her chairmanship of the Parliament's committee on citizens' freedoms and rights, justice and home affairs.

Palacio told European Voice she had no intention of standing down from her Convention role.

The composition of the Convention on Europe's future has been branded 'unfair' after it emerged that France will have twice as many representatives than smaller EU Member States.

http://www.europa.eu.int/futurum/index_en.htm http://www.europa.eu.int/futurum/index_en.htm

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