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novembro 18, 2004
EU limbo over as lawmakers approve new executive
European Union lawmakers approved the bloc's new executive commission, ending three weeks of limbo sparked by an unprecedented institutional face-off.
The European Parliament voted by 449 votes in favour to 149 against, with 82 abstaining in the ballot, which was originally due at the end of October but was delayed by the row.
The 24-strong commission led by Jose Manuel Barroso, which was supposed to have taken office on November 1, is now expected to start work in Brussels Monday after getting the formal green light from EU governments Friday.
"We have a great deal of work to do and we will get down to it," Barroso told lawmakers after the vote.
He thanked the parliament "for the confidence which you've just voiced and vested in me," he said.
"We are going to work hard, give our all to serve the institutions of the EU and all of our citizens."
Barroso was forced to withdraw his first-choice team at the last minute after EU lawmakers threatened to veto it notably over controversial Italian EU nominee Rocco Buttiglione.
The cigar-chomping conservative Catholic, who sparked uproar with his comment that homosexuality was a "sin", finally agreed to stand down and make way for a new Italian nominee for the sensitive EU justice brief.
After some arm-twisting, Buttiglone was replaced by media-friendly Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who carefully avoided controversy at confirmation hearings this week where he went out of his way to trumpet women's rights.
In what was widely seen as political horse-trading, the conservative Buttiglione's departure was balanced by a shift of Hungary's socialist nominee Laszlo Kovac, while Latvia also switched its candidate.
The EU parliament, long considered the poor relation in the EU family, has made no secret of its delight at having given EU member states a bloody nose as it flexes its growing political muscle.
The parliament's president, Josep Borrell, said the vote marked "a very significant milestone in European history".
"Europe does need a strong commission and a credible parliament," he added.
The new commission was all but guaranteed to clear the parliamentary hurdle with backing from the three biggest groups, the conservatives, socialists and liberals.
But in a shot across its bows, shortly before the investiture vote, MEPs approved a resolution seeking to strengthen their hand in demanding the resignation of any member of Barroso's team over the next five years.
Barroso acknowledged the non-binding resolution -- which would require him either to sack the offending commissioner or if not explain his refusal to do so to parliament -- but did not commit himself.
"We are now ready to engage in those discussions in a constructive and positive spirit. I don't think now it is wise now to engage further in debate," he told a news conference.
And several parliamentarians warned Barroso that their "yes" vote did not mean a blank cheque.
Question marks remain over several of Barroso's team, not least the Dutch nominee for the powerful competition brief, Neelie Kroes, who faces allegations of conflicts of interest over her past business links.
Liberals leader Graham Watson told Barroso: "Today you get your driving licence. Tomorrow we start on the rules of the road."
Nigel Farage of the anti-EU UK Independence Party gave a stinging summary of fraud convictions against several of the new commissioners, as well as recapping question marks over Kroes and Britain's Peter Mandelson.
"I ask you a simple question: would you buy a used car from this commission? The answer simply must be no," he told MEPs.
Publicado por esta às novembro 18, 2004 03:49 PM