This WEEK in the European Union

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso played down such reports as "pure speculation" on Thursday (20 November), adding: "The final decision may be very, very different from anything that you have seen so far."

Mr Barroso pointed out that the college will abstain from taking "a one-size-fits-all approach."

"Everyone is suffering from this crisis and everyone needs treatment but not everyone needs the same pill," he told journalists.

Apart from the stimulus package, the commission will open a consultation procedure on consumer collective redress and also adopt several legislative proposals concerning the EU's cohesion policy, dubbed the "Roadmap for recovery."

Ireland under the spotlight

Meanwhile, European Parliament President Hans Gert Poettering will on Tuesday meet Ireland's foreign minister, Micheal Martin, to hear his views on how Dublin is planning to solve the institutional problem with the Lisbon treaty in his country.

Irish voters rejected the document in a June referendum - the only nation voting on the EU's new reform. A survey published on Monday (17 November) suggested that the treaty could be adopted in a new referendum if certain guarantees were given to the Irish, with the government admitting they are in talks with EU partners to seek out what to offer Ireland's electorate.

MEPs have been pressing hard for a re-run of the poll early next year before the June elections to the European Parliament, with the constitutional committee adopting a report urging Dublin do so to enable EU citizens to vote for the bloc's legislature under the new rules, as set by Lisbon treaty.

Parliamentarians also urged the Czech Republic to hurry up its ratification of the document. The country's constitutional court is due to give its verdict on whether the Lisbon treaty is in line with the Czech constitution on Tuesday.

Roaming on text messages

Later this week, telecoms ministers will seek to agree on EU regulation for fees on calling and sending text messages from abroad.

According to the proposal on the table, the 2007 legislation fixing the fees at agreed levels across the EU would be extended until 2012. Moreover, its scope would extend to cover text messages and data transfer.

Ministers will also discuss the possibility of including high-speed internet access within the framework of universal service provision as it has become an "essential commodity."

Finally, they are expected to adopt revisions of EU regulatory framework covering electronic communication, tackling such issues as easier access to radio-electric frequencies, protecting consumers and reinforcing network safety and integrity.

Home affairs and justice

At the same time at other Brussels' venues, interior ministers will discuss the fight against terrorism and justice chiefs are due to adopt common EU rules for pre-trial procedures across the continent at the last series of meetings chaired by French presidency.

On Thursday, home affairs ministers will hear the annual report by the EU's counter-terrorism co-ordinator, Gilles de Kerchove, along with his priorities for the coming period.

French interior minister Michele Alliot-Marie will suggest that her colleagues agree to a concerted strategy and practical measures aiming to widen the area of the fight against cybercrime, arguing that it needs to be made more effective and consistent.

She will also inform them about the French presidency's progress on the "European Passenger Name Record" project, which seeks to allow national law enforcement agencies to use data on air passengers for counter-terrorism purposes, similar to the US model, previously criticised by Europeans.

On Friday, ministers of justice hope to reach a political agreement on the European supervision order in pre-trial procedures between member states, to boost the principle of mutual recognition across the Union.