EU agrees new deal on rotating commissioners

The Convention on the Future of Europe has reached a new deal whereby all EU member states would be treated equally in the future allocation of commissioner's jobs.

At present, the larger member states are entitled to nominate more commissioners than smaller states.

However, the convention, which is currently drawing up a proposed EU constitution, agreed this morning that each member state would have a commissioner for 10 years out of every 15.

Former Taoiseach John Bruton, one of Ireland's representatives at the Convention on the Future of Europe, said the new agreement would mean "absolute equality between the different countries".

"That's a huge step forward from our point of view relative to what was threatened previously," he added.