Brussels, 12/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council made the following statement over the framework agreements recently signed, after long negotiations, by the President of the European Parliament Nicole Fontaine and the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi (see EUROPE of 6 July, p.4):
"The Council took note of the Framework agreement on relations between the European Parliament and the Commission signed 5 July 2000. It notes that the two institutions concerned have taken into account some of the fears it had previously mentioned over the level of it competence. Nevertheless it remains preoccupied by the fact that several provisions of the framework agreement create a sliding in the institutional balance made by the Treaties. It underlines that either way the undertakings subscribed to by these institutions are not objectionable to him and he maintains to keep his rights and take any appropriate measures in cases were the enforcement of agreement provisions affect the attributions conferred by the Treaty to institutions and the institutional balance they create."
The "sliding of the institutional balance" foreseen by the Treaties, denounced by the Council, mainly lies in certain undertakings made by the Commission that would have thus reduced its autonomy compared to the Parliament. Especially targeted are the provisions concerning parliamentary amendments to Commission proposals: several Member States feel that the Commission's exclusive right to initiative would be affected, the Commission having to justify its stance before Parliament.
Neither the Commission nor the Parliament share the Council's opinion on this matter.