Brussels, 18/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - If the European Commission underlines the role of the Committee of the Regions for "direct dialogue with local officials," it reminds that the accession of the Committee of the Regions to the rank of separate institution is not on the IGC agenda. Following the 33rd session of the Committee of the Regions, the President of the Committee of the Regions and the Commissioner responsible for Regional Policy discussed, during a press conference, the relations between their respective organisations. Michel Barnier underlined that "the discussion on the statute of Institution is not and will not be open, it is clear to all that the institutional balance will not be modified." As for the possibility for the Committee of the regions turning to the Court of Justice," the issue will probably not be opened, the problem being more that of the Court backlog. This will open the doors that we could possible not close."
Another issue is that of the number of member in the Committee. This being supported by the European Parliament's calls to set a ceiling of 350 member for an enlarged EU, while the Commission put forward a figure of 230. This proposal was made "for reasons of efficiency," but the Commission has not made it into a "question of principal" - "we can find with the Member States in the intergovernmental conference the right balance between efficiency and representation."