EU: The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, has said the next President of the European Commission should have experience of running an administration the size of the Commission.
Speaking in Brussels following a meeting with Belgium's Prime Minister, Mr Guy Verhofstadt, Mr Schröder said the candidate need not be chosen from among current or former prime ministers.
It was important that Mr Romano Prodi's successor should be "a convinced European" with experience in European politics.
Mr Verhofstadt, who is among the front-runners for the post, played down his interest in it, insisting he was happy in his present position.