EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: SCHULZ SAYS BARROSO MUST KEEP COMMISSIONERS IN LINE.

Mr Schulz said that Mr McCreevy's outburst was a "catastrophe" for the Social Democrat government in Sweden which depended on its support from two moderately anti-European parties, the Left Party and the Green Party. If the Commission wanted a deal on the 2007-13 budget, he said, it needed to win over countries which are critical of the Commission's approach, referring to Sweden's opposition to a deal at the summit of EU leaders in June and its insistence on sticking to a budget worth 1% of the EU gross national income.

The Socialist group leader admitted that Mr Barroso faced challenges in running the Commission, pointing out that having 25 Commissioners posed problems of coordination. Mr Barroso also faced strong personalities like Charlie McCreevy, Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen, Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Communications Commissioner Margot Wallstrom. That made it even more important for him to ensure that all his Commissioners were following the same line, Mr Schulz added.

He was speaking ahead of a presentation by Mr Barroso to MEPs of a report on the...