Commissie-Prodi mogelijk standby als EP de nieuwe Commissie-Barroso wegstemt (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Romano Prodi today declared himself and his Commission "ready for any emergency" if the new Commission is rejected by the European Parliament on Wednesday (27 October).

Mr Prodi's team will act as "caretaker Commission" if the European Parliament fails to endorse the Barosso Commission - a real possibility after the commissioner-designate for justice and home affairs, Rocco Buttiglione, caused outrage with his views on gays and the role of women in society.

"We are ready for any emergency", said Mr Prodi today at what he hopes will be his final press conference as Commission President.

But his spokesman told journalists earlier, "we have no contingency plan".

Both stressed their confidence that MEPs would vote for the Barroso Commission.

"I wish and I hope that this will not be necessary", said Mr Prodi and joked, "my cabinet is almost empty already".

He confirmed that his team of commissioners had not discussed the possibility of staying beyond their 1 November mandate.

Power vacuum

The man appointed as head of the new Commission, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, said he had held formal and informal meetings with leaders in the European Parliament in a bid to secure their support for Wednesday's crucial vote.

The Socialists and Greens are expected to vote against the Commission on Wednesday, with the centre-right EPP widely anticipated to vote in favour. The third largest group in the Parliament - the Liberals - have not yet decided their position and could tip the balance either way.

Of the smaller groups, the eurosceptic Independence and Democracy group and the leftist GUE group are set to vote against the Commission and the small nationalist UEN group will vote in favour.

"I have listened to many of the European Parliament's concerns", said Mr Barroso, adding that he hoped to avoid what he called a "power vacuum".

For his part, the departing Mr Prodi said he would have a "deepfelt recollection of the past five years", adding that he would "probably" be returning to domestic politics in Italy.