De Rossa and McDonald to vote against Commission

Two Irish MEPs have vowed to oppose the appointment of the new European Commission tomorrow due to the inclusion of an Italian politician with controversial views on homosexuality, marriage and immigration.

The Labour Party's Pronsias de Rossa and Sinn Féin's Mary-Lou McDonald said they would be refusing to ratify the new commission in tomorrow's vote in Strasbourg because of the inclusion of Rocco Buttiglione as Justice Commissioner.

Mr Buttiglione told MEPs earlier this month that he regarded homosexuality as a sin. He also revealed that he thought a woman's role was to bear children and work in the home and that single mothers were "not good people".

Speaking ahead of tomorrow's vote on the commission, Ms McDonald said the Italian nominee did not have the right skills to be an EU Commissioner with responsibility for anti-discrimination measures.

Meanwhile, incoming EC president Jose Manual Barroso has today offered a number of concessions to MEPs in an effort to secure their support for his 25-man team in tomorrow's vote.

The concessions include the establishment of a European Fundamental Rights Agency and other measures to protect against discrimination, racism and xenophobia.

However, speaking in the parliament chamber, the leader of the Socialist grouping of MEPs Martin Schulz,said the measures were not good enough to prevent him and his colleagues from rejecting the new commission.

The leader of the Centre Right grouping of MEPs appealed for unity and defended Mr Buttiglione, meaning the balance of power could lie with the Liberal Democrats, who have expressed unease with the Italian's views.