Duff tables amendments to Institutional proposals

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 6th May 2003

On Monday 5 May Convention Liberal chairman Andrew Duff has tabled several amendments to the draft articles on the institutions. They aim to resolve the growing tensions in the Convention between the 'big' and 'little' states, to make clearer the lines of executive responsibility in the Union, and to enhance parliamentary control.

Duff's main amendments are as follows:

Article 14 The question of the seats of the institutions and agencies to be decided by qualified majority vote (QMV) in the Council.

Article 15 To install a maximum ceiling of 95 MEPs from the largest country (Germany), as well as a minimum threshold of 4 for the smallest (Malta).

Article 16 To introduce a multi-annual political strategy for the Union (to replace the six monthly presidency 'programmes'), proposed by the Commission and decided by the European Council.

Article 16a To suppress the idea of a permanent president of the European Council, proposing instead an integrated presidency of the executive formations of the Council with that of the Commission.

Article 17a To continue the logic, the President of the Commission chairs the General Affairs Council, while the appropriate Vice-Presidents of the Commission chair the other executive formations. A rotating minister continues to chair the Law Council, but with a shorter term of office of three months.

Article 17b To add a formal definition of enhanced QMV for particularly sensitive subjects.

Article 18 To allow each member state one full member of the Commission.

Article 18a To reverse the procedure for electing the President of the Commission so that the political nomination comes from the European Parliament and the appointment is made by the European Council.

Article 19 To make the Minister of Foreign Affairs - restyled Secretary of the Union - a full and proper member of the Commission.