Oproep tot meer politiek debat in Europese Commissie (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission will have to become more politicised if it is to remain a relevant EU institution in the future, said a top EU official on Tuesday (27 January).

The Secretary General of the Commission David O'Sullivan said that the Brussels executive "cannot continue indefinitely to have a purely technocratic role" adding that "we have to demonstrate that what we do is relevant".

"Unless we move in that direction - a living European political debate - we will never get the adhesion of our citizens to the process", he said at a meeting organised by the European Policy Centre.

He argued that the Commission, whose technical role is as guardian of the EU Treaties and to propose EU law, has already "become much more politicised".

Political realities

One way to make it matter more is to escape the division between European and national politics. "There is not two political realities", said the Irish official.

And this goes for Commissioners too, believes the Secretary General. There has been much speculation about the current Commission President, Romano Prodi, and his eventual return to the Italian domestic stage particularly after he published a manifesto last year urging centre-left parties in Italy to unite under one common list for the European Parliament elections.

"It has to become more normal that people move seamlessly between the national and European level".

Setting the right priorities

However, the next Commission, due to start on 1 November, will only keep the goodwill of the member states and the European Parliament if it sets it priorities very carefully.

Mr O'Sullivan said that to "define a political agenda" will be the main challenge of the next Commission.

"I don't know whether there will be single item agenda", said Mr O'Sullivan referring to the fact that the five-year tenure of this Commission had a successful enlargement of the EU as its overriding goal.

However, he argued that whatever programme it sets itself, it has to be something "into which other institutions can buy".

The main priorities are likely to be the EU's relationship with its immediate neighbours - the 'Wider Europe Policy' - justice and home affairs and sustainable development.

Getting it right on the inside

The "defining moment" for the new Commission, which will have 25 Commissioners, will be whether it decides that should be centralised and presidential with full portfolios - as now - or whether there should be a series of vice-presidents with "families of policies".

However, the Secretary General believes that while substantial reorganisation of the Commission department is not necessary this time round; Commissioners and the services that back them up should work better together.

This follows public spats such as those between the environment department and the enterprise department in the run up to a change in the Chemical regulation.

I think we have not got the synergy for an integrated policy approach, said Mr O'Sullivan.

The Secretary General reports directly to the Commission President and is responsible for over-seeing the Commission's work programme and co-ordinating the different services in the Commission.

Mr O'Sullivan has been in the post since June 2000 and is tipped to be the next EU Ambassador to the US when the current ambassador steps down later this year.