EUROPEAN CONVENTION: ITALY ANNOUNCES OCTOBER 15 AS LAUNCH DATE FOR IGC.

Whilst Praesidium members have not reached a compromise on the controversial issue of the Presidency of the European Council in the new version of Title IV, the new draft does nevertheless contain a notable modification: regarding the proposal for a permanent President, it is henceforth no longer necessary that the person elected should previously have been a member of the European Council for two years to meet the conditions for eligibility to the Presidency. That said, in spite of the latest discussions that appeared to lean towards the notion of a "Chairman", the term "President" is maintained in the English version. In another alteration, in the interests of clarity, Praesidium members specify that the President of the European Council is responsible "at his level" for the external representation of the Union, "without undermining the responsibilities of the Commission President and the EU Foreign Minister". The draft has also dropped the idea of creating a Congress of the People of Europe made up of national and European Parliamentarians which was being strongly advocated by the Convention President himself.

Nor are the provisions on the Commission subject to any major alterations with the proposed composition remaining unchanged (15 members including the President with voting rights and deputy Commissioners without voting rights). This is in spite of the various amendments in favour of maintaining the Nice status quo (a Commissioner per Member State up to a maximum of 27 Member States, the European Council being responsible for making any appropriate changes beyond this number) or a system perpetuating the principle of a Commissioner per Member State. Nevertheless, the Praesidium, keen to reassure small Member States concerned at losing their full Commissioner, has included a proviso in article 25 paragraph 3 delaying the entry into force of these provisions until November 1, 2009. The Praesidium has also agreed to take up a demand widely supported by the Convention aiming to enhance the powers of the Convention President by integrating a provision of the Nice Treaty permitting the President to demand the resignation of a Commissioner, without the current condition...