Brussels, 04/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Group of the European People's Party in the European Parliament reacted positively to the high-level appointments decided on Wednesday by the European Commission (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.12). Thus, its President, Hans-Gert Poettering, considered that the appointment of a new Secretary General "provides the opportunity to overcome past difficulties" and to make a priority of implementing the new framework-agreement on relations between the Commission and Parliament. "With the senior appointments made today, we see the beginning of the Internal reform of the Commission that is so important for the European Parliament", said the CDU leader, announcing that "we will continue to press for a full and comprehensive reform of the Commission because we need a strong Commission capable of acting efficiently and spearheading the process of integration and enlargement". As for Helmut Nassauer, he saw in Wednesday's decisions "a gesture of good will and in the interest in a new quality of cooperation" between the Commission and Parliament. This will enable the "Parliament-Commission axis" to be strengthened, said the CDU member, noting that the recent criticisms of the European Parliament regarding the Commission had largely concerned the person of the outgoing Secretary General.
The President of the Liberal Group, Pat Cox also welcomed these "important and significant changes", and wished those nominated "well in their new appointments". Louisewies van der Laan (Dutch member of Democratie 66 who sits with the Liberal Group), on the other hand, asked the Commission if the position of person responsible for the "Economic and Political Council" that replaces the Forward Planning Cell had been published and whether there were internal candidates other than Ricardo Levi, and whether this appointment was permanent or linked to the presence of Romano Prodi at the head of the European Commission: according to Mrs. van der Laan (who was spokesperson for European Commissioner Hans van der Broek), if the usual procedure had not been followed and if this appointment was permanent, it was a question of "parachuting".