Brussels, 03/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - This weekend's seminar in Knokke allowed European Commissioners to meet and discuss both certain topical issues and the perception the media and citizens have of the work of the European Commission. They did so in two stages, over a private dinner that ended late Friday night and in a more formal meeting Saturday morning. Referring to "an extremely friendly, positive meeting", the Commission's spokesman, Jonathan Faull said that all had hoped that that type of meeting could be organised on a more regular basis. He stipulated that many topical subjects (he notably cited Afghanistan and the Middle East), as well as issues of importance of the future of Europe (the Commission's stance on the Laeken Summit, which was adopted on Wednesday; enlargement and its consequences for Union policies; the economic situation; "governance"; the Commission's position in the institutional triangle, as well as its relationship with Member States and civil society) had been the subjects of policy debates without "operational of formal conclusions"
In answer to questions from journalists, Mr. Faull repeated that there had been no "dispute at all over working methods" and stipulated decisions on the internal functioning had been taken in order to improve certain aspects of the Commission's weekly meetings. These decisions related, notably, to deadlines to respect for the submission of documents or the division of work within the college and what points should be the subject of further debate before adoption. In this context, the Commission would like to devote a greater part of its work to important subjects and increase the number of policy debates, the spokesman went on.
Talks also turned to aspects linked to communication. The Commissioners and Union policies taken individually, have a good image, but "the role of the Commission and its President as college leader are less well perceived", Jonathan Faull acknowledged, summarising the Commissioners' debates, who wanted to "better clarify the work of the College as such". And, in answer to a journalist who pointed out that these explanations could be interpreted as an avowal of the weakness of President Prodi, he repeated that this was a problem of communication. "We have a Commission that works well (…) and twenty Commissioners who are aware of belonging to the same enterprise", he added.