Brussels, 03/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - Convention Member and MEP Olivier Duhamel has written to Klaus Hänsch and Inigo Mendez de Vigo, EP representatives at the Praesidium of the Convention, stating that "the meeting of our (European Parliament) component" with Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, Jean-Luc Dehaene and Giuliano Amato on Wednesday afternoon "could be very important, if we can get the basis for consensus on the major outstanding institutional issues". The French Socialist, who regrets that he cannot attend this meeting, stresses that an agreement should "cover the European Council, Commission, Council package, specifying, as suggested by the Praesidium on Saturday, that it is applied after the next EP mandate, i.e. in 2009". He believes that an agreement should encompass the following:
- Commission. The President chooses 15 Commissioners based on "equal distribution between Member States" (possible variation: five members from the more populous States, five from the least populated, and five from the third group of States). The President also appoints "delegate Commissioners".
- European Council. It elects a permanent President for a term of two and a half years, renewable once. He "has no administration, nor any particular powers", he "takes care of the external representation of the Union, with the President of the Commission and the Foreign Minister". The meetings of the European Council are held in each Member State by rotation.
- Council. Qualified majority requires the approval of a majority of States, representing at least 60% of the population. The Presidencies of the Council formations other than its Foreign Office "are divided equally among the Member States and carried out for one year".