EU assembly to back Commission but no

Lingering parliamentary doubts centre on the former Communist Party politburo member after EU lawmakers claimed two more heads in President-designate Jose Manuel Barroso's initial line-up.

A prominent liberal lawmaker criticised Barroso's decision to keep Dutchwoman Neelie Kroes in the powerful competition portfolio, the EU's top antitrust regulator, despite concerns over potential conflicts of interest due to her boardroom past.

Kovacs' Socialist allies accused right-wing critics of trying to smear him by circulating what they said were fake pictures of him as a Communist militia officer.

Barroso withdrew his original team at the last minute on Oct. 29 to avoid a humiliating defeat after parliament criticised several nominees and its Civil Liberties Committee rejected Italy's Rocco Buttiglione, who has now withdrawn.

Since then, Barroso has reshuffled his team to incorporate two new faces. Four more hearings are now required, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday before a final vote on Thursday.

If confirmed, the executive would take office on Nov. 22.

Italy has sent Foreign Minister Franco Frattini as justice and security commissioner to replace Buttiglione, who alienated left-wing and liberal lawmakers with his views on homosexuality and marriage.

Parliament's largest political group, the 268-member conservative EPP, is still keen to get even after the loss of Buttiglione and said it was unhappy Hungary had not withdrawn Kovacs, who performed badly in his hearing for the energy portfolio.

He has now been moved to taxation, a brief first assigned to Latvian Eurosceptic Ingrida Udre, who was withdrawn amid a domestic party funding scandal. She, in turn, was replaced by respected diplomat Andris Piebalgs, who will handle energy.


NO FREE RIDE

"We will not attack anybody but nor will we give them a free ride," EPP spokesman Robert Fitzhenry said.

"If one or more of the three commissioners have a complete disaster, then there will be a complete disaster and who knows what will happen," he told a news conference.

Liberal lawmaker Jean-Louis Bourlanges said Barroso should have reshuffled former businesswoman Kroes to a different job rather than creating elaborate procedures to replace her in any competition case involving a company with which she had ties.

He said the special arrangements made for Kroes would leave EU decisions "open to challenge in the courts, censure from judges and a loss of public confidence".

The outgoing EU executive led by Romano Prodi has stayed on as a caretaker until Barroso's team is confirmed.

The 88 Liberal MEPs, power brokers during Barroso's climbdown at Strasbourg last month, said they were likely to swallow their doubts and support Barroso.

The 200-strong Socialists have praised Barroso for bowing to parliament and parliamentary sources said dozens would back the Commission, but many others would vote against Barroso's team as too economically liberal.

The 45 Greens had vowed to vote against the EU executive. ((

Source: Reuters