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Plan for EU 'super council' runs into wall of opposition

Stephen Castle
Saturday 08 June 2002 00:00 BST
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Plans to form a powerful "super council" to streamline decision-making in the European Union and to slim down the number of committees in Brussels have run into trouble, with three countries pledging their opposition.

Proposals to overhaul the EU's creaking procedures have been drafted by Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy supremo, and will be one of the main subjects to be debated by EU leaders when they meet in Seville later this month.

But despite the support of big countries, including Britain, a group of smaller nations, made up of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, have attacked the plans, saying they would make matters worse.

Mr Solana wants to achieve changes that could be made quickly without altering the EU's treaty. They include a reduction in the number of ministerial meetings taking place in Brussels, with committees such as the Development Council being purged, and a decision to televise some legislative sessions.

But the key element of the package is a plan to split the General Affairs Council, where EU foreign ministers meet and which is supposed to take an overview of EU work, into two bodies. One would concentrate on foreign affairs while the other would help to supervise EU business, aiming to clear blockages and reduce the amount of technical discussion, which clogs up summits of EU leaders.

Mr Solana has not specified which ministers he thinks should be on the new body, although one possibility is that deputy prime ministers would be nominated. This would prevent difficult issues being referred to summits, allowing EU leaders to focus on the bigger picture.

However, a joint paper from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg stated: "Although we are willing to consider ways of improving matters, we do not see any advantage in creating a new council formation, composed of deputy prime ministers or ministers/state secretaries for European affairs. Furthermore, we see major disadvantages in splitting the General Affairs Council into two separate formations.

"Surely such cures are worse than the disease? Such measures are out of proportion to the problems identified, and would mean the EU abandoning the one ministerial forum that can make the crosscutting links needed for a coherent internal and external policy."

While the countries were not opposed to some streamlining of Brussels in principle, they said: "European integration benefits from the broadest possible involvement of ministers from the member states."

Mr Solana's allies stress they will have to gain agreement on the package but are confident that most of their arguments will be accepted. The Netherlands will be in a weak position to oppose the move because its government is still being formed, and Luxembourg – as a very small state – is unlikely to block. The position of Belgium and Italy, which also has reservations, will be crucial. In countries with coalitions, the powers of the foreign minister tend to be very sensitive because he or she often belongs to a different party from the prime minister.

Other changes Mr Solana wants include having a formal agenda for a summit, rather than a letter from the leader of the country that holds the presidency. EU leaders would also take formal decisions rather than reaching conclusions, under his plans.

Bigger changes, such as a reform of the EU presidency system, which rotates every six months, will not be discussed in Seville because that would require a change of the EU's governing treaty. Such reforms will have to wait until 2004, when EU leaders are due to re-write the treaty to pave the way for the EU's next expansion.

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