EU: The new European Commission president-elect, Mr José Manuel Barroso, has set the scene for his first row with member-states by pledging to stick with plans to substantially raise the EU budget for the next financial period, writes Honor Mahony in Brussels.
In an interview with five European papers yesterday, Mr Barroso said: "My starting-off point will be the proposal that the Prodi Commission made."
The outgoing president, Mr Romano Prodi, in February proposed that for the next financial period (2007-2013), the EU annual budget should be raised from €100 billion a year to €143 billion. This increase has been strongly opposed by countries that are net payers into EU coffers - Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Austria and Sweden. The price hike will also affect Ireland when it becomes a net contributor to the EU.
For Mr Barroso, however, it is logical. "Europe cannot have ambitious policies with insufficient money," he said.
Although he is not to take up his job until November 1st, the former Portuguese leader - well-known for his Atlanticist outlook - has been making his feelings clear on a whole array of high-profile issues, including the conflict in Iraq.
In the same interview, he argued in favour of a "good, close, co-operative relationship with the US" and leaving disagreements on Iraq behind.
"Some people in Europe may think that it is good that things are going badly (in Iraq) for the US," said Mr Barroso, who hosted the eve-of-war Azores summit with the leaders of the US, Britain and Spain. "I really think that is an irrational and a bad policy."
Later yesterday, as he chaired the first informal meeting of the new European Commission, it was back to the more prosaic duties of making sure his new 24-strong team carry out all the right preparative steps over the next two months.
He greeted his team with the message that they were "at the beginning of an exciting but tough journey".
The Irish commissioner-designate, Mr Charlie McCreevy, who interrupted his holiday to be in Brussels for the meeting, was giving little away about his priorities for his influential Internal Market portfolio, saying only that "everyone brings their own individual stamp to every job".
But he indicated that his days will be full with the new post - part of which will include breaking down the barriers to cross-border banking and lowering the administrative burden for businesses across Europe.
He pledged to be a commissioner who looks for agreement on issues. "You cannot dictate from on high," he said.
Mr McCreevy also said that his priority now will be to get his Brussels cabinet in place. "The first thing to do will be to get \ cabinet ready and then start working from there," he said.
He is entitled to have a total of six advisers - although they have to be of at least three nationalities. "I have given a little bit of thought to it but I haven't done anything about it," he continued, refusing to comment on rumours that Government Press Secretary Ms Mandy Johnston is to be part of his new team.