Europe steps closer to appointing president amid concerns

EUROPE moved a step closer to appointing a president yesterday as the Convention on the Future of the EU entered its final month.

Smaller member states, such as Ireland, who insist they retain their EU Commissioners, are close to an agreement with Britain, Germany and France, that a President be appointed to coordinate the work of the union.

Europe Minister Dick Roche, admitted positions are shifting in the 105 member Convention.

“If the balance between the Council and the Commission is kept, we would favour a President of the Council,” he said.

Mr Roche and up to 20 smaller current and future members have challenged the larger states to produce a detailed proposal for a president.

“If they come up with a workable solution and the job of president is confined to the European Council and does not affect the workings of the Commission then it could be something positive,” he said.

Dáil representative and MEP Proinsias de Rossa held similar views. “We will have to come up with a unique construction to ensure an executive president of the European Council does not undermine the legitimacy of the Commission,” he said.

The rotating presidency he believes will continue with five countries cooperating for a two and a half year term with the President serving for a similar term coordinating and ensuring continuity in EU policy.

“The President will be the person that world leaders will ring when they want to contact Europe,” Mr De Rossa believes.

The smaller countries are holding firm on equality for all states when it comes to appointing Commissioners who head up the Departments of the European Commission and are responsible for drawing up law in a number of areas other than foreign policy and finance.

The Nice Treaty agreed the larger countries will lose their second Commissioner next year and every country will have just one until the EU has more than 28 members.