Brussels, 28/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 27 September, the European Commission sent a reasoned opinion to Italy calling upon it to comply with the law of the Union and not to carry out on its own behalf the ratification process of a bilateral agreement with China, which Rome negotiated without the knowledge of the Commission, the institution explains in a press release. “Despite the negotiating directives given to the Commission in 2005 for the negotiation of an EU-China Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, covering among others a possible visa waiver for diplomatic passport holders, Italy negotiated and concluded a bilateral agreement with China exempting holders of diplomatic passports from the visa requirement without having cooperated or even consulted with the Commission”, the Commission states. In so doing, Italy failed in its obligation of fair cooperation and did not respect article 4, paragraph 3, of the TEU, which requires the member states to facilitate the Union's accomplishment of its missions and to abstain from any measure which may jeopardise the achievement of the Union's objectives. The Commission may bring the matter before the Court of Justice of the European Union if Rome does not respond favourably within two months. (SP/transl.fl)