Mandelson hits out at Prodi’s reform failure

By Martin Banks

Date: 29/07/04

PETER Mandelson, nominated as the UK's next European commissioner to serve under José Manuel Barroso, has criticized the outgoing Commission led by Romano Prodi for failing to give economic reform either coherence or political profile.

Prodi himself has come under fire in the past for his high-profile involvement in Italian politics.

And Mandelson has reportedly said: "He [Prodi] has been campaigning with his face on election posters doing two jobs - president of the Commission and would-be leader of the Left coalition in Italy. Nobody thinks that is a good idea and I am not going to emulate it."

But a Commission spokesman rejected the accusation, he has reportedly said : "He [Prodi] has been, and remains, 100% dedicated to his duties as Commission president, as he has made clear on many occasions. We completely refute this and, to be honest, we do not take it too seriously.

"Mr Mandelson has a right to say what he thinks but Prodi has given his all to his job and we will be pleased if Mr Mandelson does the same in the Barroso Commission."

Mandelson, who is pressing to be given the internal market portfolio, told European Voice: "The EU has created the world's largest economic market and we have got to make it work.

"I want a Europe that is pursuing economic reform, new jobs and protection from terrorist and other security threats, not a Europe that is over-regulated, bureaucratic and centralized. This will only work if there is a change in the regulatory culture in the 'Brussels system'."

Mandelson said that the Prodi Commission had failed to give reform the "coherence and political profile it so desperately needs".

Barroso, he predicted, would "make economic reform his top priority".

"Within the Commission, this means key areas need to be better resourced and there must be greater willingness and capacity to hold national regulatory authorities to task."

Mandelson, who will be one of 25 commissioners, met Barroso in Lisbon on Tuesday (28 July) to discuss which job he might be given.

He said he hoped to make the EU more accountable and raise Europe's stock with the British people.

"As a member of a rather disliked Commission with a European Union which is not universally popular, I will be doing my bit to turn that round," he said. Mandelson, one of the most controversial Commission nominees, is likely to face questions from the European Parliament about his UK track-record, including his resignations from government.

He said his exits from the cabinet had been for "bogus reasons", which had proved "wrongly founded and unfair". He said: "I hope people will be fair minded. If people want to give me a break and that fairness, I'm determined not to let them down. For the moment, however, I have more immediate worries - most of which have to do with improving my French."

• The UK government is drawing up a reform package to make Mandelson answer questions regularly in front of a new joint committee of peers, MPs and possibly MEPs. The joint committee would meet quarterly to discuss EU issues.

Peter Hain, leader of the House of Commons, said: "I would like to see commissioners and the UK commissioner in particular giving evidence and answering questions. It would be of great benefit."

Report of comments by prospective European Commissioner Peter Mandelson, including his hopes for the priorities of the new European Commission under José Manuel Barroso.