Summary 09/10/2003 CIG 6/03
By / Edited by Peter Jonasson Pedersen
This document [09/10/2003 CIG 6/03 Preparation of the IGC ministerial meeting on 14 October 2003:questionnaires] deals with the composition of the Commission and the status of the EU Foreign Minister.
The Italian EU Presidency has asked the participants in the IGC to prepare answers to the following questions in preparation for the meeting on 14 October.
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- What role should the non-voting Commissioners have, if the system of selecting the voting Commissioners from a list of three candidates proposed by each state should be maintained? And, should the system envisaged in the Constitution be changed?
The draft Constitution as prepared by the Convention envisages a Commission composed of voting and non-voting Commissioners.
The Presidency also want to clarify the role the EU Foreign Minister should have in the Commission. In the draft Constitution, a double-hatted EU Foreign Minister is proposed, merging the functions of the Council's High Representative and the Commissioner for External Relations.
All Member States accept this proposal, but question the exact status within the Commission of the EU Foreign Minister - especially regarding voting rights, accountability to the European Parliament and the Commission President and his role in the Foreign Affairs Council.