McCreevy's EU role safe despite Commission crisis

Charlie McCreevy’s position as Ireland’s EU Commissioner is secure despite the political crisis in Brussels, Government sources confirmed today.

As Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso announced that the vote to ratify his new team would be delayed, its future remained uncertain.

Just one hour before the 732-member EU Parliament was due to vote, Mr Barroso entered unprecedented political territory. He said there needed to be more consultation, adding: “It is better to have more time to get this right.”

But even if the row over controversial Italian nominee Rocco Buttiglione does eventually lead to the rejection of the entire team, it should not impact on Mr McCreevy, who is expected remain the Internal Markets Commissioner designate.

Fine Gael had decided to vote unanimously for the Commission despite disagreements with Mr Buttiglione.

Jim Higgins MEP admitted there were problems with certain other potential Commissioners as well, which may now be exposed. But he said the team should be considered collectively, rather than as individuals.

“The mechanisms are still there,” he said. “It is better to defer and get it right. The problem now really is that there is not a plan B. No-one had prepared for this eventuality.”

He expressed confidence Mr McCreevy’s position would not be affected. “He is 100% safe,” he added. “He impressed the Commission and had unanimous support from all groups except the communists, which is to be expected.”

Sinn Féin MEPs Mary Lou McDonald and Bairbre de Brun, who had intended to vote against the new team, welcomed the decision to postpone the vote.

“During recent days it had become increasingly clear that there were serious difficulties across the political spectrum with the proposed European Commission,” they said in a joint statement.

“(Mr Barroso) must consult widely with MEPs and political groups on the composition of the future European Commission, and he must return to the EU Parliament next month with a more balanced and progressive set of proposals.”

Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley, President of the Union for a Europe of Nations (UEN) group, said postponing the vote today on the new European Commission was the prudent course of action to take.

“It was clearly the case that if the vote on the new European Commission had gone ahead today, that the vote would have been very divisive and the vote would have been very close,” he said.

“The European Union works at its best when the European Commission and the European Parliament are working together as opposed to working against one another.

It is now clearly the case that President Barroso will have to embark on a widespread series of consultations to find an acceptable solution.”

Fianna Fáil MEPs had planned to vote in favour of the Commission and offered their full support to Mr Barroso.