Europarlementariërs op zoek naar bevoegdheid om afzonderlijke Eurocommissarissen naar huis te kunnen sturen (en)
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Parliament is set for new political powers allowing it to seek the resignation of an individual European Commissioner, following a working relations agreement sealed earlier this week by senior MEPs and commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso i.
Due to be voted on 9 February, the power-sharing deal suggests that Mr Barroso must "seriously consider" whether to ask an individual commissioner to step down if parliament withdraws its confidence. If he chooses not to let the commissioner go he then has to explain his reasoning before MEPs.
Under EU i treaty rules, MEPs can censure the commission as a whole but not individual members. This new inter-institutional arrangement, while not legally binding, will further increase the political clout of the EU assembly, a trend that has been growing steadily in recent years.
Its most obvious expression has been when it has sought, and obtained, changes to the commission line-up before it came into power - although legally it is not able to veto single would-be commissioners. Earlier this month, MEPs forced the resignation of Bulgarian commissioner designate Rumiana Jeleva i, following through on political powers won in 2004.
The five-page agreement binds the two institutions more closely together in a series of informal ways. European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek i will be allowed to attend the weekly meeting of commissioners when major laws are being proposed. The twice monthly meeting of political group leaders in the parliament will host Mr Barroso when legislative and budgetary matters are discussed.
Meanwhile, the monthly question-and-answer session between MEPs and Mr Barroso will be extended to include Catherine Ashton i, the EU's top diplomat, and other commissioners.
The parliament has also been granted extra rights when it comes to international negotiations, particularly in the area of trade, where it shall have better access to information and will have attendance rights - although only with an observer status for the head of the relevant delegation.
In two major areas, MEPs were rebuffed however. They failed to secure agreement from Mr Barroso that there should be US-style hearing for senior appointees to the EU's future diplomatic service, something they had openly pushed for. Instead they received commitment that the ambassadors will be appointed in a transparent manner.
Mr Barroso also rejected an attempt by MEPs to oblige the commission to come forward with EU legislation if the chamber requested it, something the commission felt was stepping on its rights as sole initiator of EU legislation.
instead, the commission will respond to a legislation request by the parliament within three months and propose a law, if it decides to do so, within a year, and will give reasons to MEPs if it chooses not to legislate.
The deal, agreed on Wednesday and to be looked over by the assembly's political leaders on Thursday (4 February), means the way has been opened for the parliament to vote on the new commission on 9 February. Previously, some MEPs had suggested there would be no commission in view without an inter-institutional agreement first.