Brussels, 16/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President Romano Prodi is to receive German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on 29 April in Brussels. The Commission's spokesperson, who stressed that such visits by EU Heads of Government to the European Commission are part of the tradition, pointed out that, at this stage, it was not yet decided whether Mr Schröder would also meet other Commissioners (Mario Monti, Frits Bolkestein, or Margot Wallström, for example).
We recall that Mr Prodi and Mr Schröder had, during a dinner in Barcelona on the eve of the European Council on 15 and 16 March, discussed a certain number of issues that are sensitive for Germany (takeover bids, aid to the coal sector, German industrial policy) and that the Commission President and the German Chancellor had promised each other they would meet at regular intervals. In principle, Romano Prodi should have gone to Germany possibly accompanied by certain Commissioners more directly concerned by such issues, but it was finally decided that Gerhard Schröder should come to Brussels to meet the Commission.