“The Eurocrats' COMMISSIONERS OF COMMON MARKET

Press, Volume C, Issue 29634, 3 October 1961, Page 14

“The Eurocrats' COMMISSIONERS OF COMMON MARKET

[By WALTER FARR in the "Daily Telegraph") (Reprinted by Arrangement)

London, Sept. 19.—Nine men in Brussels have for nearly four years been thinking and acting to some extent as a European supranational cabinet.

The’y are the members of the European Commission, the institution which moulds •the policy and administrates the day-to-day affairs of the Common Market and acts as a “watchdog” to ensure that the Rome Treaty rules are enforced.

Now, the qualities, weaknesses, powers and intentions of these nine men are of primary importance to us in the negotiations on our application tp join the Market. The Commission is unique. No-one, not even the Eurocrats themselves, can be quite sure what it can do, or how it will develop. It is to some extent a federal-type executive, partly a special agency, partly an ordinary international organisation, partly a federalist propaganda organisation and partly, although this is a matter of bitter argument within the Market, a cabinet. Considerable Force It can, for instance, make binding decisions in carefully limited fields, such as dumping. But on most of the bigger issues it simply recommends policy to the Council of Ministers and the Council has the final word. The Commission is a considerable force to be reckoned with because of the calibre and drive of the Commissioners. The nine are: Professor Walter Hallstein, the President, formerly State Secretary in the West German Foreign Office, one of the greatest authorities on the treaty which' he helped to draft, federalist, and brilliant linguist. Mr Robert Marjolin. VicePresident, French head of Market economic affairs, one of Europe’s ablest economists, formerly one of the heads of 0.E.E.C., said to be federalistminded. Dr. Sicco Mansholt. Dutch head of the Market’s agricultural affairs, ex-Minis-ter of Agriculture. Mr Giuseppe Caron, Italian. Vice-President in charge of the Market’s internal affairs, industrialist, federalist minded. Mr. Levi Sandri, Italian excivil servant responsible for social affairs, including the plans for free movement of labour throughout the Market. Mr Robert Lemaigen, French head of the Market’s plans for reinforcing its links with former French Africa, and perhaps eventually with British Africa. Dr. Hans von der Groeben. East Prussian, directing the enforcement of the Market’s rules of competition, including control of cartels Mr Jean Rey, Belgian exMinister in charge of Market relations with the rest of the world. Mr Lamber Schaus, Luxembourg lawyer responsible fbr developing a common transport policy. ' 'Suprxna tiona lists' * Some of the Commissioners were in the Resistance during the war; some have been in prison camps of the other member States: all are. under the treaty, sworn to act as Europeans rather than for their own countries. They admit that they look upon themselves in some ways as heads of European “Ministries” forming a cabinet in embryo. They maintain that with almost every decision they make the Commission takes another step towards becoming a real They have Minister-sized salaries, between £4500 and £5OOO a year, tax tree. They ar* driven in cars bearing European number plates, send their children to a special European school in Brussels. They have an efficient, multi-lingual staff of nearly 2000. Each Commissioner has in his "Ministry” immediate assistants from three or four countries. They claim that when they return to their own capitals

for week-end consultations they find their thinking and information are frequently ahead of their own countries’ Cabinet Ministers. This, they say, is because, as Commissioners, they are constantly in touch with, and informed by. industrial, social, political, trade union and consumer groups from all over the Market, discussing problems from a continent-wide instead of a nation-wide viewpoint. Can be Dismissed The Eurocrats were once talked of as the Angry Young Men of Europe. Now they feel their plans for creating a real community of European nations have made such progress that they have little to be angry about Urey are contemptuous of General de Gaplie’s attempt to limit the powers of the Commission. The Commissioners can be dismissed from office by the European Parliament, which consists of M.P.s from the parliaments of each of the member States. But in practice the Commission and the Parliament tend to work together against the Council of Ministers.

All the Commissioners come up for re-election at the end of this year. Professor Hallstein will, it is believed, be re-elected because a change in the Presidency is thought to be unwise during negotiations on Britain’s application. The Six Governments are responsible for choosing the Commissioners.

The goal of most of the Commissioners seems to be to transform the Commission, the Council and the Parliament into federal or confederal bodies during the 1970’5. By this time they believe the European Common Market will have become the Eurafrica Common Market, in which African States will join the European ones. If Britain is really serious about joining, th y say, she must not expect them to alow down. We must move faster to catch up with them. For this reason the cabinet in embryo will be scrutinising every move we make during the negotiations beginning next month.