EUROPEAN COMMISSION: BARROSO PLEDGES TO REASSIGN CONTESTED ANTITRUST DECISIONS.

In the letter Mr Barroso writes, referring to files which Mrs Kroes has handed over to him: oMy orientation was not to personally retain such files on a permanent basis, but to reassign such files to another Commissioner as soon as the Commission has settled its working wayso. This was now the case, he stated, adding that the reassignment of files was now imminent.

A spokesman for President Barroso said that he would reallocate files odepending on which Commissioner was best qualifiedo. Although this was not confirmed explicitly, it is understood to mean that Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot would, in future, deal with competition cases concerning maritime issues.

In his letter, which Mr Barroso also sent to the heads of other political groups and the EP President Josep Borrell, the Commission President says he is oglado that Mr Cohn-Bendit had shared his view that the oprivate contactso of Members of the Commission are ofirst and foremost a personal mattero.

Mr Barroso adds, as he has done continually throughout the affair, that he has always respected the Commission code of conducts provision on avoiding conflicts of interest. He adds that he hopes the Green/EFA leader will agree that the osimple fact that a politician has acquaintances or friends in a certain sector cannot per se disqualify him or her from any work in that sectoro. To think otherwise, he argues, would orisk paralysing almost all political and legislative worko.

Under the terms of the code of conduct drawn up when the Barroso Commission took office (and partly in response to criticism from the Greens/EFA group in particular), Competition Commissioner Neelie...