Brussels, 18/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - In the perspective of enlargement in 2004, Romano Prodi has drawn up a plan aimed at improving, without altering the Treaty, the functioning and working methods of the College (see page 7). He suggests a new pyramid organisation for the Commission around its president and several vice-presidents, who would each supervise "a group of responsibilities" spread over several Commissioners. Mr. Prodi proposes an internal reform articulated around two principles:
Reorganisation of the responsibilities of the College around a limited number of essential tasks: following the example of what is currently discussed in the Council, one group of responsibilities could cover external relations, international trade, development aid and humanitarian assistance, to which could be added a group on employment and social affairs, training and research, fiscal and customs policies, and yet another on industry, transport, energy and trans-European networks. In this scheme of things, the Commission president "whilst ensuring a global balance", would designate a corresponding number of vice-presidents, each of whom would be given the task of supervising a group of areas, sharing responsibility with two to three Commissioners depending on the cope of the fields covered.
Rationalising the Commission's internal decision-making process so that College decision-making is more effective. The College, acting in line with the policy guidelines laid down by the president, could meet twice a month to set its priorities and plan its work, determine the basic political guidelines governing its work and adopt decisions in principle, including those setting the framework for decisions to be taken subsequently by habilitations (empowerment). The work of the College would e prepared at meetings, to take place at least once a week, between the president an the vice-presidents. Habilitations could be exercised in respect of each group of subjects by the relevant vice-presidents and Commissioners.
In this document, the Commission president pleads in favour of in-depth dialogue with the Council and Parliament that could comprise the following elements: - a reorganisation of Council configurations and responsibilities assigned to parliamentary committees along lines common to the three institutions; - new practices within the Council, like scrapping the "tour de table" or limiting the possibilities of oral interventions by ministers.; - the possibility of EP committees to adopt legislative opinions and reports, whereas the plenary would serve for major issues (which goers along the line of the report the EP adopted last week, see page 17).