Barroso said to seek compromise in EU crisis

Incoming European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is seeking a compromise way out of his first crisis over designated EU justice chief Rocco Buttiglione, a senior political leader said yesterday.

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee rejected the Italian politician for the sensitive post last week after he aired his conservative Roman Catholic views on homosexuality and marriage at a confirmation hearing.

Socialist floor leader Martin Schulz told journalists that Mr Barroso had put forward "new elements" to resolve the crisis at a private meeting two days before the new Commission chief is due to meet all parliamentary leaders. "Very frankly, after hearing from Mr Barroso, I do think there was an attempt to find a constructive solution, and I hope there will be a constructive solution," Mr Schulz said.

He refused to give details on grounds of confidentiality but hinted a solution might involve some change in Prof. Buttiglione's role or responsibilities.

"Obviously that depends on the various parties and on Prof. Buttiglione himself," he said. "The Commission president got the message and has obviously understood it. I'm not someone who is closed to a compromise."

The 200-member Socialist group, the second largest force in the 731-seat Parliament, has threatened to vote against the whole Commission unless Prof. Buttiglione is moved.

Parliament does not have the power to veto individual nominees but only the whole EU executive. The investiture vote is set for October 27, five days before the Barroso Commission is due to take office.

Mr Schulz noted that Parliament had raised issues with several nominees, although only Prof. Buttiglione had been rejected by a committee.

Other designated commissioners who were criticised include Laszlo Kovacs of Hungary for energy, Mariann Fischer Boel of Denmark for agriculture, Neelie Kroes of the Netherlands for competition and Ingrida Udre of Latvia for taxation.

After voicing full confidence in Mr Buttiglione as Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security last week, Mr Barroso failed to renew such unqualified support on Monday, telling journalists in Dublin: "I cannot at this stage make any specific comment about a specific member of the Commission."

He also met Hans-Gert Poettering, leader of the largest parliamentary group, the 268-member conservative European People's Party, yesterday after private talks with Graham Watson, head of the 87-member Liberal group on Monday evening.

"Mr Poettering is confident that Mr Barroso will take parliament seriously and draw the right conclusions from the hearings, and present those conclusions to the conference of (party) presidents on Thursday," an EPP spokesman said.

The centre-right Liberals, who supported Mr Barroso in a confidence vote in July and count a record eight of their number in his team, could be pivotal in the investiture vote.

Liberal sources said Mr Watson advised Mr Barroso either to swap Prof. Buttiglione's job, or to remove responsibility for civil liberties from his portfolio.

However, Commission sources said Mr Barroso also had to weigh the risk that Prof. Buttiglione might reject such a move, and that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who nominated him, might refuse to replace him, escalating the crisis.

"My impression is that we're on a path that is not yet at an end," Mr Schulz said. "Many things are interdependent."