Brussels, 03/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - With a declaration by its permanent representative, Ambassador Rocco Cangelosi, the Italian government has officially challenged the solution taken on board on Tuesday 2 October by the constitutional affairs committee (see yesterday's edition) on the composition of the European Parliament as of 2009. Italy considers that the solution adopted, based on the number of “residents” in each member state, runs counter to the principle whereby the EP represents “citizens” and not states. It is therefore the criterion of citizenship (and not that of residency) that should prevail. The method of the rapporteurs, Lamassoure and Severin, would be likely to lead to action before the Court of Justice and Italy would find it difficult to agree to a project that does not respect the basic principles of the new treaty and which “penalises it unfairly”.
Given the time needed to consolidate application of the “principle of citizenship”, Italy considers it would be more appropriate not to take a stance on a new method at once, and to maintain equal seat assignment between France, the United Kingdom and Italy so that the next Lisbon summit may take place smoothly, as it must approve the new treaty.
Ambassador Cangelosi has notified Italy's position to the president of the European Parliament and to the leaders of political groups. (fr)