Barroso needs time to name his new team

IT is going to take a number of weeks before a new European Commission team is installed.

But I believe it must be approved at the December session of the European Parliament, at the latest. Otherwise, a political vacuum in Europe will arise.

The European Parliament will be meeting in Strasbourg on the week beginning December 12. This gives the new commission president Jose Barroso time to bring forward proposals to reform his team.

It equally gives the parliament adequate time to approve commissioners who are given new portfolios.

The EU institutions must work earnestly together to ensure that we overcome recent difficulties. I believe the timeframe I am setting out here is a sensible one. It gives both the parliament and the commission adequate time to work through the recent institutional logjam.

Europe needs to work through this impasse. We then need to get back to the key challenges facing us, namely, to implement the Lisbon agenda, to make the European Union more competitive, to ratify the new European treaty and to bring forward initiatives to help those who are less well off and disadvantaged in our society.

Brian Crowley MEP

President

UEN Political Group

European Parliament

Brussels