MEPs seek new political concessions as price for accepting Prodi's team

The trial of strength between the European Parliament and the Commission moved into a new phase yesterday as it became clear at parliamentary hearings that a majority of MEPs have no taste for voting down the new Prodi Commission team.

Now parliamentary leaders are looking for what one described as "an exit strategy", a price for their consent in the form of political concessions that will commit commissioners to ever more closely co-ordinating their work with MEPs.

MEPs from the major parties are now hinting that two controversial commissioners-designate already interviewed - Spain's Ms Loyola de Palacio (Inter-Institutional Relations) and Finland's Mr Erkki Liikanen (Information technology and Industry) - are broadly acceptable to them although they will make some sharp criticisms of them public.

Three others have received support ranging from half-hearted, for the German Green, Ms Michaele Shreyer (Budget), to enthusiastic for Mr Poul Nielsen (Development) and Mr Franz Fischler (Agriculture).

Determined, however, to extract their pound of flesh, leaders of the main parliamentary groups are now understood to be focussing on what political concessions they can wring from the new Commission. A political resolution setting out procedures for future relations is likely to emerge.

The leader of the largest group, the EPP, Mr Hans-Gerd Poettering, said last night he hoped such an agreement would include a commitment from the President-designate, Mr Romano Prodi, to respect the wishes of Parliament if it felt a commissioner should be sacked. An explicit undertaking is unlikely but a form of words will probably emerge.

The leader of the Liberal Group, Mr Pat Cox, hinted at his group's support for the new team, saying he had not seen any dramatic new evidence against the nominees which would suggest they were unappointable.

Yesterday's hearings were on the outgoing Finnish Budget Commissioner, Mr Liikanen, returning in charge of Information Technology and Industry. He skillfully evaded questions about why he failed to push reform through the current Commission and what part he played in the disciplining of the whistleblower, Mr Paul van Buitenen.

Mr Liikanen blamed his difficulties on the fact that no one commissioner had "ownership" of the reform process, and many failed to implement Commission decisions within their directorates.

He insisted the suspension of Mr van Buitenen was a matter for the director general for personnel, not himself. Later Green MEP, Ms Nuala Ahern, said she was very unhappy with that response.

Asked if he could compare his passion for the marathon with Commission reform, Mr Liikanen said: "The marathon's more fun."

Meanwhile, concerns that the prospective Trade Commissioner, Mr Pascal Lamy, may be implicated in reducing a fine against a French company when he was chef de cabinet for the former President, Mr Jacques Delors, have eased following an in camera hearing of the Budget Control Committee of the Parliament.

Although the committee is expected to ask for a further Court of Auditors inquiry into the affair, which involves improper subsidies for the fictitious export of Irish butter to Russia, it is likely that Mr Lamy will be able to convince MEPs on Thursday that his fingerprints are not on the file. However, he may have a tough time explaining why relevant cabinet minutes are missing.