Brussels, 18/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - Romano Prodi set out before the press on Tuesday the European Commission priorities for the European Council of Seville, but was especially questioned on the proposals for the reform of the Commission ("without changing the treaties" - he stressed) that the College had just approved that very morning ("u-na-ni-mous-ly", he hammered home, in answer to questions on the fact that several Commissioners are said to have not been aware of his ideas - see below).
As for the Seville Summit, Prodi especially turned to the "asylum and immigration" issue, repeating that he "fully" shared the decision of the Spanish Presidency of discussing the issue in Seville. We must take account of the concerns of our citizens, "without giving in to the facile temptation of terrible scenarios that do not exist", he stated (also see EUROPE of 13 June, p.3, for his address before the European Parliament). He then repeated that distinction had to be made between illegal and legal immigration, which is a "source of vitality and energy in an ageing Europe". As to whether his words could be interpreted as backing the French and Swedish reservations on the possibility of sanctions against "uncooperative" countries of origin (see yesterday's EUROPE p. 8, for the Council's work on that subject), Mr. Prodi replied: "No, we fully share the Presidency's idea", "and I believe that at Seville we shall reach agreement on these reservations without making aid conditional, but by taking account of third countries' desire to co-operate". We must help these countries, but we have the right to expect of them the "same readiness" to take account of "our" problems, he said.
Commission reform: Prodi sets out from idea of an "ample" Commission
This morning I presented to my colleagues, who approved them unanimously, my ideas on how to improve the Commission's organisation once it is enlarged to up to 30 Commissioners, Mr. Prodi told the press, affirming: "there is no problem within the College, discussions were quiet, operational, constructive". Following our proposals for "better regulation" here are those of a "better organisation", he exclaimed, noting that, in fact, he had been working on the reform of the Commission from his first day in office. Why these proposals now? Because, Prodi explained, to take account of the "very, very strong desire" of future Member states to have a Commissioner (it's clear that the Commission seems like "the symbol of the link with the Union", he acknowledged), "I set out from the idea that the Commission must be ample" and because, on the other hand, it has been pointed out to me, "even ironically", that such a large Commission would be unmanageable, whereas, "yes, we can, if the president can organise him- or herself".
For now, it is only a question of a sketch, but we must demonstrate that a Commission of thirty member can function, whereas with the status quo we risk paralysis, Prodi added. He then set out the essential elements of this sketch: - one Commissioner per Member state, in a Commission that would meet once a month. "The College as a whole remains the executive", which is "sovereign" and on which "depends all decisions", Prodi stressed; - vice-presidents to "facilitate the Commission's administrative decisions". They would meet once a week and, "under my guidance", they will prepare Commission decisions; - finally (this idea still needs looking at in detail, Prodi acknowledged), the introduction of a "kind of system of rotation between vice-presidents" to demonstrate that we do not want to create a board, and as guarantee for the smaller Member states (see other article).
Are you not in the process of "bypassing" the treaty. No, answered Mr. Prodi, stating that he had worked from the principle of "not having to change the treaties", and referring to the Amsterdam Treaty, and not the Nice Treaty (see below).
Mr. Prodi also stressed that these proposals should only take effect in 2004, as soon as the Commission had been enlarged: I would like it to be the first of January, as that would mean that the enlargement treaties have been ratified, he added. Why proposals only for 2004 and not immediately? Mr. Prodi's reaction: "as we stand, the Commission is doing very, very well".
You may recall that Article 213 of the Amsterdam Treaty states that the Commission "must comprise at least one national from each Member state", whereas the Protocol to the Treaty of Nice concerning enlargement stipulates, in Article 4, that the Commission "comprises a national from each Member state", but when the EU has 27 members, this text is replaced by the following: "The number of Commissioners shall be inferior to the number of Member states. The members of the Commission shall be chosen on the basis of an equal rotation the modalities of which remain to be decided in Council, ruling unanimously". Yet, Prodi sets out from the hypothesis of an initial enlargement to ten countries.