Prodi to move to keep Brussels in charge

Plans to secure the Brussels Commission as the powerhouse of the European Union will be unveiled tomorrow.

Commission President Romano Prodi is determined to counter a tilt towards EU governments by insisting that the Commission, and not the national government ministers of the 15 EU countries, are in the driving seat.

Mr Prodi will signal the start of an intense power struggle in a document designed to be the Commission’s considered contribution to talks currently under way into the future shape of Europe.

A British government contribution to the year-long Convention headed by former French President Giscard d’Estaing has already identified the EU governments as the engine of the EU.

The UK is backing the idea of a new “President” to be elected to act as the EU’s voice on the world stage, increasing the EU’s foreign policy role and gravitas.

Mr Prodi will insist that on foreign policy – as in almost every major policy area including justice and home affairs and economic matters, the Commission should be the dominant force.

The Commission should have the sole right of initiating legislation, says Mr Prodi, and the EU’s foreign policy chief should be a member of the Commission team.

The job is currently split, with former Tory Party chairman Chris Patten as the Commissioner in charge of external relations, working alongside former Nato secretary-general Javier Solana, who is the EU governments’ “High Representative” for foreign affairs.

If Mr Prodi has his way, the foreign policy dossier will be run exclusively by the unelected Commission – a notion which Mr Patten himself has doubts about.

But France and Spain are among those backing Britain’s call to establish a permanent figurehead representing the EU governments.

The split between Brussels and national governments is likely to widen once Mr Prodi has had his say, halfway through the Convention’s deliberations, which are expected to produce recommendations in the middle of next year.