EU: The EU's smaller states fear that Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing will today renege on a deal agreed on Friday which would guarantee the equal representation of all member-states in the European Commission, writes Denis Staunton in Brussels.
A group of small states has asked the Government's representative at the Convention on the Future of Europe, Mr Dick Roche, to draft an alternative text on the reform of EU institutions.
Mr Giscard will today publish a revised draft of articles in a new EU constitution dealing with the reform of the Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. Small states expressed satisfaction on Friday when he agreed that each member-state would continue to nominate a member of the Commission. From January 1st, 2009, only 15 commissioners would retain voting rights but these rights would rotate between member-states on the basis of full equality.
Small states have been alarmed, however, by reports over the weekend that Mr Giscard has had second thoughts about the deal and that the text he publishes today may not include a reference to equality among member-states.
Mr Roche said the small states were determined to ensure that the deal agreed on Friday should survive and would not agree to any text that did not make explicit the principle of equality among member-states.
"We are disturbed by some of the comments we have heard coming out of the praesidium and we are going to make absolutely certain that there is no attempt to row back on any off the issues we have agreed," he said.
Mr Roche said that if Mr Giscard attempted to unpick Friday's deal, they would complain directly to EU leaders about the former French president's conduct.
Mr Giscard declared on Friday that the convention had found the basis of a compromise on institutional reform.
The deal agreed after intensive discussions with members of the convention would see the appointment of a president of the European Council to replace the EU's six-month rotating presidency.
An EU foreign minister would chair meetings of national ministers for foreign affairs and combine the roles now enjoyed by Mr Javier Solana and Mr Chris Patten.
The Government remains unhappy with parts of the plan, notably a proposal to define a qualified majority as a majority of member-states representing 60 per cent of the EU's population.
The convention meets this week for the last time and the draft constitution is due to be presented to EU leaders in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on June 20th.