Strasbourg, 12/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - At the initiative of the British Euro-sceptic, Nigel Farage (UKIP), MEPs submitted a motion of censure against the European Commission on Thursday so that its president, José Manuel Barroso, can explain how he stands in a controversy surrounding his relationship with the Greek magnate, Spiro Latsis. Early afternoon, Manuel Antonio dos Santos (PES, Portugal) opened the EP plenary session by announcing that he had received a motion of censure from 77 MEPs (i.e. a sufficient number) against the Commission concerning the possible risk of a conflict of interests. The debate on this motion will be held on 25 May during the plenary session in Brussels. Mr Barroso received a bad press end April on the subject of his relations with Mr Latsis and especially concerning a cruise made in August 2004 with his wife on board a yacht belonging to the millionaire. Mr Barroso explained that his relations with Mr Latsis were part of his private life and that, at no moment, was there a risk of conflicting interests.
Mr Barroso reacted on Thursday (before the 76 signatories needed had been gathered in Strasbourg), saying that the founding of this motion of censure was “absurd”. It is a 'minority initiative” which does not have the support of the “very large majority of MEPs who, unlike Mr Farage, consider they have already received sufficient information and that the question is solved”, his spokesperson said on Thursday. According to EP sources, the motion had no chance of gaining a double majority - simple majority of MEPs and two-third majority of the votes - required for it to be adopted.