Heads of government agreed that in 2005 large member states will lose their second commissioner and that the size of the Commission will be capped when the EU has 27 states. The final cap is a matter for negotiation but will be less than 27, writes Patrick Smyth.
But the agreement also provides, at the insistence of both the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Dutch Prime Minister, Mr Wim Kok, that any formula for capping will also be based on an automatic and equal rotation between member states.
Automatic equal rotation is an important concession to the smaller states as it is one of a number of alternative approaches to capping, most of which otherwise involve privileging the large states or even guaranteeing their seats permanently, while rotating those of small states.
The system likely to be agreed will involve balancing the rotation to ensure a constant mix of large and small states and a geographical spread. No state will lose its entitlement two terms in a row.
The equal rotation approach was initially offered by the French at the Biarritz summit to tempt small states who were adamantly refusing to concede on the principle of their continued entitlement to a commissioner. But the French appear to have been surprised when the Dutch and Irish returned to the idea on Saturday, having successfully rejected the more ambitious French proposals to reduce the size of the Commission.
Both Mr Ahern and Mr Kok were convinced equal rotation would not have been on offer from the larger states in 2010 if the specifics of rotation were left until then. With a capping process certain to happen then anyway, the possibility of securing guaranteed equality between member states now was a powerful incentive to concede on the principle of one commissioner per state.
Leaders also agreed to strengthen the powers of the President of the Commission, enshrining in law the informal arrangement made by the Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, by which they have each agreed in writing to resign if he asks them to do so. The treaty will also make clear that the distribution and reallocation of portfolios is in his gift.