Barroso lijkt zijn team op drie posten te wijzigen (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders are expected today to finally agree a new team of Commissioners following the withdrawal of the original team before the European Parliament last week.

But the alterations to be made by incoming Commission President José Manuel Durao Barroso are set to be the minimum possible.

According to sources, Mr Barroso's new line up will affect three Commissioners - although five were criticised by MEPS.

The new Italian Commissioner is expected to be Franco Frattini, currently the country's foreign minister - he would fill the gap left by Rocco Buttilgione who stepped down over the weekend after causing a furore with his views on gays and women.

Mr Barroso is also expected to suggest that the newly proposed Latvian Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs take on the energy portfolio.

This would free up the Hungarian Laszlo Kovacs, still supported by his government, to move to tax. Mr Kovacs was strongly criticised by MEPs for being "incompetent" in the area of energy.

Such moves would not affect all of the commissioners-designate that MEPs criticised as it would leave both the Dutch Commissioner, Neelie Kroes, and Mariann Fischer Boel, from Denmark - both of whom have been accused of having conflicts of interests.

However, both Parliament and the Commission will be eager not to have a repeat of last week's events - something which could be very damaging for the EU.

During a visit to Poland, head of the European Parliament Josep Borrell said, according to the Pap news agency, that the parliamentary hearings for the new Commissioners could begin as early as Monday.

"We are ready to meet him [Mr Barroso] Friday or Saturday. From Monday we could start to vet the candidates", said Mr Borrell on Wednesday.

This would open the way for the new Commission team to be put to a vote by MEPs at the next plenary session which begins on 15 November.

Economy

Although the new Commission has taken much of the political interest over the last few days - EU leaders are actually meeting today and tomorrow in Brussels for a regular discussion on Europe's economy.

They will be presented with a harsh report analysing Europe's attempts to turn itself into the most dynamic economic in the world by 2010.

According to the report, "too many targets promise to be seriously missed".

Member states will also look at the situation in the Middle East, Iran and Iraq.

The Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi will have a discussion with EU leaders on Friday - he is expected to push for help from the EU in his country.