§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government assented to the amendment of Article 217 of the Treaty of the European Communities giving additional 167W powers to the President of the Commission (a) to restructure the duties and responsibilities of each member of the Commission, (b) to appoint its vice-presidents and (c) to obtain with the approval of the Commission the resignation of any Commissioner. [144744]
§ Mr. VazThe Government strongly support reform of the Commission. These Treaty changes are designed to help the Commission function more effectively, particularly after enlargement.
Giving the President of the Commission the power to restructure the duties and responsibilities of each member of the Commission and appoint its vice-presidents will enable the President to organise the College of Commissioners in the most effective way possible. The President's power to obtain with the approval of the Commission the resignation of any Commissioner strengthens the voluntary undertaking that all members of the current Commission have given, that if the President asks him/her to resign she/he will do so. This will help to strengthen the accountability of individual Commissioners.