Brussels, 04/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - The unpaid leave that Louis Michel will be taking from his duties as European development and humanitarian aid commissioner from 12 May to 10 June to run for his party at the Belgian legislative elections on 10 June (EUROPE 9389) has caused displeasure at the European Parliament. In Brussels on 3 May, the members of the EP development committee, chaired by Josep Borell (PES, Spain), did not hesitate to put their concerns to Mr Michel about the fact that he would miss the General Affairs/External Relations/Development Council on 14-15 May, as well as the next Joint ACP/EU Council of Ministers on 25 May - two meetings considered crucial for European development policy and for the outcome of the difficult negotiations on economic partnership agreements (EPA) between the EU and six ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) regional sub-groups.
Josep Borrell had already expressed these concerns in a letter sent to Louis Michel early April. “The period of absence will coincide with key talks that the EU must hold for a series of economic partnerships. We fear that your absence may be extended”, the chairman of the parliamentary committee had written. On 4 April as always, Louis Michel had a ready answer: “I would point out that the European Commission is not an administrative secretariat made up of political eunuchs”.
In response to the MEPs who reproached him for being in breach of the text of the Treaties whereby commissioners carry out their duties in “complete independence”, Louis Michel, forever outspoken, restated his convictions, saying: “A commissioner must remain a man, or a woman, of politics in order to serve the interests of the Union and of its citizens effectively. A commissioner's ability to carry the European project forward is linked to his, or her, political stature. That is the difference between us and the directors general”. The favourable opinion of the Parliament's legal department, given at the request of the parliamentary committee on development, “attests to my good faith on this”, Louis Michel added.
Answering Maria Martens (EPP-ED, NL) and Jan Zahradil (EPP-ED, Czech Republic) who asked him what he intended to do after the ballot was over, the commissioner said: “My first choice is the Commission until 2009, although one must not prejudge the results of the elections”.
“Taking leave implies that your priorities are different from ours”, said Max van den Berg (PES, NL). Other MEPs who, like Thierry Cornillet (ALDE, France) and Toomas Savi (ALDE, Spain), have nothing against Louis Michel taking leave, said that clarification from the Code of Conduct for Commissioners would have avoided all this polemic. Louis Michel sought to reassure the MEPs who expressed concern by pointing out the qualities of his colleague, Olli Rehn (Enlargement Commissioner), appointed by President Barroso to take Mr Michel's place during his leave. Mr Rehn will be “kept informed, tutored and accompanied so that the various tasks can be accomplished successfully”, he added. (an)