Brussels, 13/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission had a policy debate on the opinion it is to issue over the convening of the Intergovernmental Conference, and, thus, on institutional reform. The Commission proposes adopting its opinion on 26 January (or early February at the latest).
Requested by Commissioner Michel Barnier, responsible ad personam for the IGC, the debate revolved essentially around two aspects:
a) The future composition of the Commission. Mr. Barnier put forward two options. The first is based on the principle of one Commissioner with the nationality of each present and future Member State; the second provides for setting a ceiling of 20 Commissioners, and not exceeding this whatever the number of Member States. The first option risks "swelling" the Commission into proportions that would render it difficult to manage and thus inefficient. The second option means a rotation in the presence of Member States in the College. For example, in a Union of 28, each Member State would appoint one Commissioner in five Commissions out of seven. EUROPE has reason to believe that a clear majority of Commissioners came down in favour of the first option: one Commissioner per Member State. Mr. Barnier, however, intends keeping both options open and submitting both to the Commission on 26 January, deepening the analysis of the advantages and inconveniences, possibly adding considerations on additional provisions that could apply (voting procedure within the College, possibility of senior and junior Commissioners, etc.);
b) Extending majority voting in Council. Mr. Barnier's tendency would be to consider majority voting as the rule, and that exceptions would have to be duly stipulated and justified. He is said to have identified five fields that would merit remaining under the rule of unanimity in future. The possibility of a "super-qualified" majority will also be explored: for example, each Member State would have a right of veto, but at least two votes against would be necessary to block a project. Here too, Mr. Barnier is said to intend leaving several options open for the Commission's final deliberations.