Activites

• 1999/04/14 Final act published in Official Journal
• 1999/01/13 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T4-0015/1999 summary

    The resolution drafted by Elmar Brok (D, EPP) on the institutional implications of the approval by the European Parliament of the President of the Commission and the independence of the members of the Commission was approved by the European Parliament. One amendment was adopted, seeking to ensure that the European Council appoints the new President after the European elections to be held on the 10th to the 13th June. The report considers that an important step in the political integration process would be made if European political movements each proposed the candidate they would like to see appointed President of the Commission. The governments of Member States would then be well advised to take account of this, in the light of the outcome of European elections, when nominating the candidate for the Commission Presidency. As a consequence of these proposals, the Parliament points out that this nomination could not occur at the Cologne European Council if this were to take place before the European elections. The report considers that a significant number of members of the Commissin should be chosen from among the sitting MEPs and all persons nominated should have significant experience in European affairs. The distribution of portfolios should ensure the unity and efficiency of the Commission. The Parliament stresses the importance of safeguarding the independence of the Commission as guardian of the Treaties and the only body with the right of legislative initiative. To this end, it also stresses the need to strengthen parliamentary supervision, including the possibility that the Council complies with any request by the Parliament to initiate compulsory retirement of individual Commissioners. The Parliament undertakes to ensure the process of presidentialisation of the Commission goes ahead and requests the adoption of measures to strengthen the guarantees designed to avoid conflicts of interest created by the increase in the Community's powers. These measures should include in particular: - the need for a public declaration of interests and external sources of income; - the obligation to refrain from taking part in discussions relating to interests taht are incompatible with their office; - the use of "blind trust", i.e. assigning to a trustee the management activities relating to property or finance which may give rise to conflicts of interest. The report stresses that this guarantee of independence should be extended to the Commissioners' Cabinets and that it should be possible to hold Commissioners politically responsible for any serious misconduct of their subordinates. As regards the programme, the Parliament takes the view that Member States should ensure that the figure they propose as Commission President is capable of securing a broad majority during the investiture vote within and requests that the nominee should make a statement of intent followed by a debate. Finally, it underlines the importance of the hearings of candidates.�

• 1999/01/12 Debate in Parliament
• 1998/11/30 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0488/1998
• 1998/07/02 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A4-0488/1998
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0015/1999

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)