Brussels, 22/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the Commission approved the changes to it internal organisation (which will be introduced into its internal system) and which president Barroso had already announced the main outline during a seminar last September in Louvain (EUROPE 21 September pp 8/9). The collegiality rule will remain a guiding force, explained the spokesperson Françoise Le Bail to the press, but new principles adopted on Wednesday will be added to existing structures, namely: greater input in providing clear political orientations on main subjects affecting its competencies. the Commission therefore aims to organise regular (more often than now) orientation debates on key themes at all stages of legislative procedure: it aims to focus on what is essential, paying more time and energy to the real fundamental issues and by relying more on written procedures when adopting decision that are subject to few problems; the adoption of a "culture of long term impact analysis" by systematically employing impact studies, even public consultations (for important subjects) before producing new legislative proposals. In some areas, impact studies or public consultation will be carries out before including certain points in the work programme; a more realistic work programme to ensure that projects included at the beginning of the year are carried out by the end of the year (which has not always been the case); a new general communication strategy (to be presented in spring 2005 and " specific communication plans" for all "major decisions"' impacting on public opinion.
The Commission also formally set up on Wednesday five groups of Commissioners in charge of preparing college decision in the respective domains "but who will not take the decisions themselves", indicated the spokesperson), these include: a) the Lisbon Strategy group, chaired by Mr Barroso and open to all Commissioners; b) the Competitiveness Council group chaired by Günther Verheugen; c) the External Relations group, chaired by Mr Barroso; d) the Communications and Programming" group chaired by Margot Wallström; e) the Fundamental Rights group, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities group chaired by Mr Barroso. The last group met for the first time on Wednesday morning, announced vice president Franco Frattini in a press conference. He said that he was in charge of preparing a road map for the president at the beginning of 2005 to include the protection of fundamental rights in Community policies. there will also be "recommendations" and "concrete action", perhaps in the shape of pilot projects, especially in the fight against the trafficking of human beings (see below).