TENSIONS OVER THE SIZE OF THE COLLEGE.

• Position: College of european commissioners - Brief article

Gunter Verheugen's latest bombshell has ruffled feathers within the college of commissioners, particularly with the Polish Commissioner for Regional Policy Danuta Hubner. It started on 3 January when Verheugen announced on German television that small countries did not each need a commissioner and that they would be better of with a deputy position in an important sector than a commissioner in a peripheral sector. In this the vice president of the Commission in charge of industry is adopting the same line as Germany, which is in favour of reducing the size of the Commission as provided for by the Constitution (the number of commissioners should equal two thirds of the number of member states). The following day, Hubner responded to her...