Brussels, 01/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - As previously indicated, France and the Netherlands in a joint contribution to the European Convention, appealed for the strengthening of the Community method and role of the Commission. To increase the legitimacy of the Commission, these two founding members propose giving the European Parliament a greater role in the appointment to its President. In the Figaro the Minister for European Affairs, Noëlle Lenoir, claims in order to maintain institutional balance, they consider that the Commission should be granted the possibility of dissolving the European Parliament (as a "fair counterpoint to the power of the European Parliament for getting rid of the Commission). France and the Netherlands have suggested strengthening:
1) the Commission's right of initiative by expanding its "monopoly" of initiative into Community affairs. The Commission would have such a right in: the European Council's multiannual Strategic Planning Programme (which would assure more coherence with the Commission's legislative programme); in starting implementation of reinforced cooperation (as guardian of the treaties, it is ready to ensure that the use of this mechanism serves as an avant-guard to greater integration).
2) Commission's execution competence, underlining (current Article 202 EC) that this competence, when it results for the Union is reserved in principle for the Commission, except in CFSP (which would improve the separation of powers and transparency of the decision-making process). The Commission is expected to enable the delegated acts to be adopted (leading to a control mechanism); the committee procedure will have to be made more flexible.
3) the Commission's role in socio-economic policies, allocating it: increased powers for assessing the economic situation of a Member State in view of analysing excessive deficit risk; a greater role in preparing the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines (every year it will set up a scoreboard); initiative in establishing indicators for assessing the progress of the different socio-economic fields.