Belgium and other small EU countries oppose French Prime Minister Mr Lionel Jospin's proposal for an economic government for the European Union, Belgian Finance Minister Mr Didier Reynders was quoted as saying today.
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"I am grateful for every contribution to the debate on EU reform. But I find the proposals ofPrime Minister Jospin a little unsettling," Mr Reynders told the German newspaper
Handelsblatt
.
"We have a different vision from that of Jospin. We want to strengthen policy co-operation among national governments. Not EU governments but the EU Commission should lead the European Union," Mr Reynders said.
"The EU Commission must be developed into a strong European executive. The Commission president should be directly elected by the people," he added.
Mr Reynders said the Eurogroup of finance ministers of the euro zone member-states should be given a more official status and should together with the Commission steer economic and financial policies in the EU.
Belgium will hold the presidency of the European Union for half a year starting July 1st but because Sweden, which is outside the euro zone, currently has this position, Mr Reynders is chairman of the Eurogroup for the whole of 2001.
In May Mr Jospin proposed an intergovernmental body to lead economic co-operation in the EU. He called for an economic government in Europe with a fund to help euro zone economies if they get into difficulty, saying more tax and labour rules harmonisation were necessary in Europe.