EPP leader makes the right noises and calms Prodi

The possibility of a confrontation between the European Parliament and the new commission was defused yesterday when the parliament's largest group made clear it was determined to give the latter a full five-year mandate.

And, as hearings into the commission nominees continued, the widely expected confrontation over one prospective member failed to materialise. To date only one interviewee, the Belgian, Mr Philipe Busquin (Research), is in danger of getting a negative report from MEPs and last night there were reports his government was attempting to rally support for him.

Responding to Wednesday's pre-emptive shot across their bows by the Commission President-designate, Mr Romano Prodi, the leader of the European People's Party, Mr Hans-Gert Poettering, said his party was willing to see the legally required two votes on the commission's new mandate take place on the same day, September 15th. However, the EPP would be seeking a five-point political agreement with Mr Prodi about future relations between the two institutions.

This would involve: the commission's willingness to make its members and officials far more available to parliament; a new willingness to produce legislation at parliament's request; an expanded agenda for the next treaty-revising Inter-Governmental Conference; and a promise to take seriously a parliamentary vote of no confidence in an individual commissioner.

A conciliatory statement from Mr Prodi last night said that "this is an avenue which we are more than willing to explore".

"The relationship between the commission and the parliament," Mr Prodi said, "is not a zero-sum game. Both institutions stand to gain from close and stable co-operation".

The British Commissioner-designate for Foreign Relations, Mr Chris Patten, sailed through his hearing with a self-deprecating humour that won him many friends.

The former Governor of Hong Kong, who is currently chairman of the Northern Ireland Commission on Policing, won applause for his emphasis on human rights and his refusal to countenance a softening of criticism of China for commercial reasons.

"The lessons of Asia, the Asian crisis, are that the best places to do business are places which treat their citizens properly," he insisted, while maintaining the need for engagement with countries like China. Pointing to the #24 billion trade surplus China enjoys with the EU, he asked: "Who needs who more" He refused to be drawn on whether he supported more majority voting on foreign and security policy, arguing that first the Union should test the procedures currently at its disposal. Nor would he be drawn on where he saw the process of European integration leading, citing the words of Cardinal Newman, "I do not see the distant scene, one step is enough for me."

But Mr Patten rejected the idea that the enlargement of the Union should be seen as an alternative to its deepening. "I don't believe you can widen successfully without deepening . . . Otherwise the institutions of Europe will not work effectively."

The hotly awaited hearing of the French prospective Trade Commissioner, Mr Pascal Lamy, turned out to be a damp squib. Mr Lamy was questioned over his role in the Delors cabinet and specifically about two scandals, the reduction of a fine on a French firm involved in a butter fraud and the collapse of control over the commission's security service when he was in charge.

On the former he denied any involvement, and on the latter insisted that he had taken action as soon as matters were brought to his attention. Last night MEPs were predicting he would get a clean bill of health.

The Luxembourg Commissioner for Education and Culture, Ms Viviane Redding, also won strong support after her hearing which saw the first parliamentary intervention by Ms Rosemary Scallon, who asked her about the protection of music copyright on the Internet.