EUROPEAN UNION: EPP LEADER ATTACKS SCHROEDER OVER EU POLICY.

Mr P?ttering's criticism of Chancellor Schr?der come just days after the German leader slammed the Commission for its "neo-liberal" policies, singling out Commissioners Bolkestein and Wallstr?m for drawing up legislation which would harm Germany. Commission President Romano Prodi has agreed to travel to Berlin with some of his team to see the Chancellor to discuss key issues.Mr P?ttering, whose own Christian Democrat party is the strongest contender to Mr Schr?der's Social Democrats in the September general elections, said that the Chancellor's attitude to Europe was causing him great concern. He highlighted a quote from Schr?der saying that "a cow which produces a lot of milk should be stroked from time to time" - seen as a plea for special treatment because of Germany's contribution to the EU Budget - as evidence that the Chancellor did not properly understand Europe. The Chancellor failed to see that Europe was a "community of law" in which the Commission's role was to be the guardian of the Treaties and not to favour some countries' interests over others simply because they were bigger. The EPP leader highlighted Mr Schr?der's critical comments when the Commission recommended a formal warning for Germany over its possible breach of the Stability Pact budget deficit limits as an example of the Chancellor's misunderstanding of the executive's role in applying the rules fairly. Mr Schr?der had alienated small countries, Mr P?ttering claimed, because they felt that if the warning had only been directed at a small country rather than Germany it would have been given. The Chancellor had especially antagonised Austria over its call for sanctions against the Freedom Party joining the...