European Commission president ‘biased’ towards larger states

EUROPEAN Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso is being accused of being biased towards the big member states and of ignoring smaller countries, including Ireland.

The major energy policy being unveiled today in Brussels threatens to bring the issue to a head as France and Germany in particular have been pushing for some of the measures to be watered down.

Ireland’s Charlie McCreevy led a near mutiny against Mr Barroso, the former Portuguese Prime Minister, at their weekly meeting recently, accusing him of toadying to larger member states.

Some officials claimed the row could be a turning point in the life of this commission that has been accused of failing to develop a character of its own.

The straight talking former Finance Minister was supported by several fellow commissioners, who also object to Mr Barroso’s presidential style. They have also accused him of almost taking over his commissioners’ portfolios.

Mr Barroso wanted to delay legal action against Germany for failing to implement EU rules on opening up their labour markets to other member states.

Germany, which took over the union’s rotating presidency on January 1, had asked Mr Barroso to ensure there were no infringement proceedings taken that might embarrass them during their six-month leadership.

Mr McCreevy, Internal Market Commissioner, accused Mr Barroso of jeopardising the independence of the commission.

According to well-placed sources, he suggested that Mr Barroso was making secret deals to curry favour with bigger member states, and with France and Germany in particular. He questioned the president’s commitment to enforcing internal market rules and to implementing the commission’s programme of liberal economic policies designed to boost the economy and competitiveness.

A large number of other commissioners supported him during the meeting, including Britain’s Peter Mandelson, Commissioner for Trade, and Dutch Neelie Kroes, who is in charge of competition.

However, the meeting ended without any reconciliation on the issue.

Mr McCreevy has been seen as the latest victim of Mr Barroso’s tendency to interfere in the portfolios of his commissioners when proposed reforms to the union’s copyright levies regime were effectively killed. The French Government was particularly opposed to Mr McCreevy’s proposals and Prime Minister Dominique De Villepain had written to the president on the issue.

Mr Barroso’s spokesman, Johannes Laitenberger, confirmed there was a discussion about infringement proceedings but added: “To transform this into a spat about yielding to a specific request from a member state is absurd.”

The office of Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed to a German newspaper that a list of their concerns was sent to Mr Barroso ahead of the presidency.

The row has focused attention on Mr Barroso’s actions in relation to the big countries. There could be another flashpoint in the coming months when the commission is set to demand the break up of major energy and telecom companies, including in France and Germany.

Both countries opposed Mr Barroso’s nomination for commission president by Britain. It is an open secret that just half way through his five-year term he has his sights set on a second term. However, his spokesperson denied this saying: “His mind is set on delivering what has to be delivered. Nothing is further from his mind than a second term.”