Brussels, 15/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - It is inconceivable to suggest that the Irish stick to the rule of “one member state, one European commissioner” after 2014, should the Irish government decide to put the Lisbon Treaty up for another referendum, as this would “run counter to the spirit of the Nice Treaty”, said Jo Leinen (PES, Germany), who chairs the EP committee on constitutional affairs. The Nice Treaty, which is currently in force, provides for the size of the Commission to be reduced as of 2009 to have fewer members than the EU has member states. The spirit of this provision must be respected, Mr Leinen said during a debate on the Lisbon Treaty organised by the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Brussels. It is of little importance, he stressed, how many members make up the next Commission, the main thing being that this number should not fall below 27. Mr Leinen was speaking in response to legal experts of the academic world that have begun to analyse legally possible solutions to come out of the impasse created by the Irish “no” vote (EUROPE 9702). The Lisbon Treaty stipulates that, as of 2014, the Commission will be composed of a number of members corresponding to 2/3 of the number of member states, unless the European Council enacting by unanimity decides to change this number. According to some jurists, the European Council could undertake to adopt, in advance, a decision to amend the 2/3 rule after entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, to take into account the wish of the Irish to keep “their” commissioner. (H.B./transl.jl)