Brussels, 26/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - The affair of mass redundancies at Hewlett-Packard continues to make waves in France. The French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin stated, in the French weekend press, that "the Commission has the competencies to act against the restructuring plan of the American IT group Hewlett-Packard", contrary to what President Barroso and his Commissioner for Social Affairs, Vladimir Spidla, said (see EUROPE 9032/33). Reacting immediately to these comments, Katharina von Schnurbein, spokesperson to Commissioner Spidla, repeated what Mr Barroso had said about the Commission's intention is to "check the possibilities of intervening via the structural funds and, in particular, the European social fund, in order to contribute to the re-training of the redundant workers". She announced that Mr Spidla was "prepared to meet representatives of the management and workforce of Hewlett-Packard France" and added: "Hewlett-Packard France has received no EU funding. If they have had anything from the regional fund, France will be aware of this and will have to to get the money back", the spokesperson concluded.