Prodi Calls for End to Eu Veto

The president of the European commission, Romano Prodi, today outlined his vision of a federalised EU and called for an end to the right of members to veto decisions, setting up a likely battle with Britain and other EU states.

Unveiling the commission's contribution to ideas on the future of Europe, Mr Prodi called for far more centralised powers - including allowing the commission to run the EU's foreign policy.

Ahead of Mr Prodi's speech to the European parliament in Brussels, British government sources savaged the ideas, saying they would be "blown out of the water".

Until now, Mr Prodi has accepted the need to retain unanimous voting on issues of "constitutional importance", but today he said: "The first point is to abolish the requirement for unanimity." He added that the unanimity rule marked one of the "bleakest periods" in recent EU history.

Mr Prodi did not mention Britain, but successive British governments have insisted that the veto must remain to defend vital national interests if they are threatened under EU policy.

Voting by majority has increasingly become the norm in European affairs - with the blessing of Tony Blair, who agrees that using the veto can bring the EU to a grinding halt unnecessarily. However, Mr Blair has insisted in the past that it must stay for sensitive decisions such as foreign policy and taxation.

Today Mr Prodi argued that the expansion of the EU, by a further 10 countries in 2004, meant that this status quo could not remain. He said: "If the veto has frequently brought paralysis with 15 member states, think what could happen with 25 or more - that is why I think majority voting should be the rule."

Mr Prodi's proposals for a strong federalist constitution for the EU echoed ideas supported by Germany and most small EU states, but ran counter to efforts by Britain, France, and Spain to entrench the primacy of nation states over Brussels.

Final proposals, including a possible new European figurehead - described by some as "someone who George Bush can call" - will be contained in recommendations due to be published next spring by the 105-strong convention on the future of Europe.

Today's presentation by Mr Prodi is just one of many dozens of contributions to that debate.

Few in Europe will have been surprised that Mr Prodi called for more centralised power, with a commission president in future elected by a minimum two thirds majority of Euro MPs. This move is designed to give the commission more democratic credibility and therefore more clout within the EU and on the world stage.

He also scorned proposals backed by the big member states, including Britain, to give more EU power to the member governments by creating a new "president" to oversee the work of national government ministers.

Mr Prodi's other proposals included extending majority voting to more areas of EU policy such as justice and home affairs, and possibly defence and taxation. He also wants the European parliament to have more legistative and budgetary powers.

The debate on the future of Europe is now centred on the rival power bids between the governments and the commission. Mr Prodi said the idea of a president of the member states on European affairs had caused "rivers of ink" to flow.

"I believe that the proposal creates more problems than it solves. It may enhance the continuity and visibility of the union's work, but it divests the member states and deprives us all of an opportunity for close involvement in the European project."

He also questioned who would elect such a president and who the figurehead would be accountable to. So far, that debate has centred on election by a new mixed group of national MPs and MEPs - and Tony Blair has been mentioned as a possible candidate.

Mr Prodi made clear today that, if his commission got its way, such a shift of power towards EU governments would not succeed.

The Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman, Menzies Campbell, was one of the first to react to the speech. He said: "If these reports are true, Mr Prodi's proposals go far beyond what is necessary, desirable or acceptable.

"The president would be well advised to concentrate on running a tight ship in the commission, the previous performance of which has often left a lot to be desired."