Brussels, 09/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Irish EU Presidency confirmed on Wednesday that, in its bilateral consultation under way at the IGC on European Constitution, it also evoked the possibility of changing thresholds for double majority in Council, as suggested by the European Convention, by fixing the two thresholds required for Member States and population at 55% (the Convention proposes 50% for Member States and 60% for population size). Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who is to present to the European Council on 25 and 26 March an interim report on the state of progress of the IGC after the failure in December 2003, has "tested" several scenarios during bilateral talks with his partners. However, at this stage, the Irish Presidency has still not formally put any proposals on the table, a Presidency spokesperson said, adding: "It's a bit early for that". "We are currently considering the parameters of an approach that would be acceptable to all Member States", the spokesperson said.
Although the German government said on Tuesday that its "official" stance at this stage was that of backing the 50-60% proposal made by the Convention, several sources affirm that Berlin could agree to the 55/55% compromise in order to dissipate the fears of Spain and Poland given the risk of a "directory" of the three largest countries (Germany, France and United Kingdom, which, with their 44% of EU population, could no longer block a decision alone) and allow rapid re-launch of the IGC. Others note that the fear expressed by the Spanish and Polish is not that the large countries will block the decision-making process but rather that they may themselves wish to be able to prevent decisions "imposed" by a small group of large Member States.
Elmar Brok (CDU), the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and one of the two EP observers at the IGC, has now backed the idea of a double 55/55 majority. "This is a good solution. It strengthens the smaller countries and makes it easier for them to contribute to a positive decision. It is also more balanced for the middle-sized countries. I believe Germany would accept it", he said in Strasbourg.
Commissioner Michel Barnier welcomed the movement, which seems to be gaining the IGC. "I hear, but without having been officially warned of it, that proposals are going round" on the voting system in Council, he said on Tuesday during a press conference in Strasbourg. He insisted on the need to keep double majority and not to make decision-making more difficult. Mr Barnier also welcomed the "very intelligent work done by the Irish Presidency". He hoped the European Council in March would allow them to verify whether the spirit had returned and whether it opened the road to an agreement on the Constitution as soon as possible, and if possible before the European elections in June.
Speaking on the fringe of the Summit of the four Visegrad countries, on Monday in Prague, Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller said Poland was "ready to make a compromise" but that it should not do so alone.