MEPs in EU power grab from Barroso

MEPs are demanding sweeping new powers to vote on, and sack, individual European Commissioners as the price for backing José Manuel Barroso’s new EU executive.

The incoming European Commission president is seeking backing from MEPs for his reshuffled team – a new look Brussels line-up forced by parliament opposition to Rocco Buttiglione.

But the price he will pay is totalled up in a new inter-institutional accord between parliament and commission - written into a resolution supporting his team.

Parliament’s main political groups – the centre-right, Socialist and Liberals, with 77 per cent of MEPs – are demanding binding new powers to vote down individual commissioners.

The small print of the new constitutional convention between the parliament and the commission has yet to be set out. But the draft text implies significant new powers for MEPs.

A text agreed by the groups will see Barroso hauled in front of MEPs if parliament should veto an individual commissioner over concerns on possible conflicts of interests.

"If the parliament votes to withdraw confidence...in an individual member of the commission, the president of the commission will consider seriously whether he should request that member to resign," states a draft text.

"The president [Barroso] shall either require the resignation of that member or justify his refusal to do so before parliament."

Current convention only requires Barroso to “seriously consider” opposition and does not compel him to act on a parliament vote of no confidence.

In a dramatic change to the status quo, if agreed, a commissioner’s resignation or an EU executive reshuffle will trigger a parliament vote on a new candidate – an entirely new power.

And Barroso could face a re-run of his current his difficulties in 2007 after the new EU constitution triggers a new line-up as Javier Solana enters the commission as Europe’s ‘foreign minister’.

"In the event of a resignation the replacement commissioner will not appear before parliament or council in an official capacity until his or her nomination has been validated by the normal parliamentary procedure (audition and vote in plenary)", declares the draft text.

"If the president [Barroso] reshuffles the portfolios in the commission during its term of office the commissioners affected will be submitted to the same procedure."

In an apparent victory for MEPs Barroso is apparently ready to sign-up to the new agreement.

“I hope we can work in a spirit of mutual respect, and I hope we can conclude a renewed framework agreement,” Barroso told MEPs.

“I feel we can respond constructively to the draft resolutions which you will be adopting.”

MEPs are expected to support a new EU executive with Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini replacing Buttiglione in the EU justice job, Latvia’s Andris Piebalgs replacing Ingrida Udre taking over the energy portfolio and Laszlo Kovács switching.

Parliament’s political bosses reckon Barroso’s support at around 440 votes – 210 from the centre-right, 160 from Socialists and 70 from Liberals.

Socialists and others who remain doubtful are expected to abstain – boosting Barroso’s count.

The former Portuguese leader is chasing a vote equivalent to or above his July figure – when MEPs backed his job as commission chief.

A vote for his new team of less than 413, or 58 per cent of votes cast which Barroso secured for his own appointment, could weaken the legitimacy of his executive and his own leadership.

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