SLOVAKIA is willing to discuss the reduction of the European Commission (EC) to only 18 members, with member countries rotating through the seats, Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan said on May 17.
The current Irish EU president has proposed that each member country have its representative on the EC until 2014, after which the number of commissioners would be reduced. The most frequently mentioned alternative is an 18-member EC, the news wire TASR wrote.
"This would be resolved such that each member country would have a representative on two out of three successive commissions. This would suit us and we would support it," Kukan said.
In connection with another sensitive issue - the majority voting system in the EU council - Slovakia would like the so-called double majority voting system to require the same percentage of countries and citizens.
The Convention on the Future of Europe originally proposed that an approval with double majority would require enough votes to represent 50 percent of the member countries and 60 percent of the total EU population.
This was rejected last December by Poland and Spain. Madrid proposed that the required number of EU citizens be increased to two-thirds.
Compiled by Beata Balogová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
