Brussels, 16/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - In a personal letter addressed to MEPs, Commissioners and members of governments and national parliaments, the MEP from the Partido Popular, José Maria Gil-Robles (also president of the new European international), asserted, following the failure of the IGC, that it was necessary to stop "crying over spilt milk and avoid getting stuck in a spiral of mutual accusations and blame". Gil-Robles also warned against being wrong-footed by the "pioneer group", the "avant-garde or a "hard core". He said that that those who brandish this proposal like a threat were severely mistaken as a threat that was not serious, would be seen as being ridiculous. He noted that among the 25 countries that wanted to adopt a Constitution on the fringes, there were others who denounced the existing treaties or wanted to leave the Union and set up another one. He asked how many countries were prepared to put the Community acquis in danger (including the Euro) with this decision. The former president of the European Parliament stressed that Europe's interest could not be identified with that of a group of countries and that a good relationship between France and Germany was very useful, "perhaps essential, for Europe, but is not sufficient" and insisted on finding a "polycentric model".
On the question of qualified majority voting at the Council, a consensus was possible, Gil-Robles claimed, if they avoided turning the system of Nice or that of the Convention into something sacred, which had advantages over the schema of Nice "but which is not perfect and is subject to amendments", added. According to Gil-Robles it is necessary to adapt the system proposed by the Convention by focusing on the approval thresholds (at the IGC, even the 54%/64% or 55%/64% could have been presented by the presidency) or if they want to conserve 50%/60% on the introduction of digressive proportionality in the population, taking into account of the 60% calculation. This digressive proportionality suggested by the Convention for calculating the seats at the European Parliament, indicated Gil-Robles, who also considered that the European Council could settle the question of the EP's composition by itself and "the parliament would be well advised to make a proposal on this subject".
On the subject of the composition of the European Commission, Mr Gil-Robles said that "there is no magic threshold above which the Commission would not function". He wanted to know "why, at 25 members "it would be a catastrophe?" he suggested that they should go back to the formula of a Commissioner for each nationality with voting rights.