Commissioner proposes constitution cherry-picking

MARK BEUNDERMAN

04.01.2006 @ 10:25 CET

French commissioner Jacques Barrot has proposed that single elements of the EU constitution be taken out in a bid to save the charter, while his Dutch counterpart Neelie Kroes has suggested the EU should should have a maximum of 27 members.

Both commissioners' remarks are contrary to the official line of the European Commission, which believes the text of the EU constitution should be preserved in its entirety, and which promotes further enlargement with Balkan states and Turkey.

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Mr Barrot, a commission vice-president and transport commissioner, told Austrian daily Kurier on Monday (2 January) that "only the reform of EU institutions and the fundamental rights [section]" could be cut out of the current constitution text and ratified separately.

The commissioner added that other provisions in the text should be preserved as well, such as the extension of the areas of majority voting, the formula for member states’ voting weights and the new post of EU foreign minister.

But the paragraphs on the division of competencies between the EU and its member states could be sacrificed, according to the senior commissioner.

Mr Barrot’s ideas are contrary to Brussels’ position so far, which has been against cherry-picking single elements of the constitution.

The commission stated in October in its "Plan D", aimed at reconnecting with Europe’s citizens, that it "believes that the overall balance achieved in the constitution should not be undermined by piecemeal implementation of parts of the text."

"Plan D" has been the commission's contribution to the "reflection period" on the constitution, agreed by European leaders in June 2005 in response to negative outcomes of referendums on the charter in France and the Netherlands.

Kroes against further enlargement

Meanwhile, Dutch competition commissioner Neelie Kroes has voiced private ideas on another major policy dossier – the EU’s planned enlargement.

According to Dutch news agency ANP, Ms Kroes suggested on Dutch television over the weekend that the 25-member bloc should not further expand after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania, scheduled for 2007.

The commissioner stated "I can understand so well that people ask themselves, where are we heading, where does the border lie? I think that with 27 member states, we should say: that is where the border lies."

Ms Kroes indicated the EU would become ungovernable if expanded further, comparing it to a company.

"You would not even consider putting a 27-member management on a company, in my experience", according to the commissioner.

Ms Kroes' comments come after the EU took major steps towards further enlargement in the second half of 2005, including the opening of EU accession talks with Turkey and Croatia, the kick-off of association talks with Serbia and Bosnia, and the granting of formal candidate status to Macedonia.

The commission gave its full official backing to the moves.

The outspoken Dutch commissioner also caused a row in September by publicly supporting Angela Merkel as a candidate for the German elections.