Italy's Mr Franco Frattini has sailed through a key test of his bid to become the EU's justice and security commissioner, winning approval by the European Parliament's key Civil Liberties Committee.
"The Committee gives a favourable opinion on the appointment of Mr Frattini as Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the portfolio of Freedom, Security and Justice," a letter by chairman Jean-Louis Bourlanges to the EU assembly's president said today.
Italy's outgoing foreign minister was nominated for the EU job after European Affairs Minister Rocco Buttiglione fell foul of EU lawmakers for espousing conservative Roman Catholic views on homosexuality and marriage and was forced to withdraw.
Mr Frattini (47) was very cautious in his responses in the hearing yesterday evening, evading questions about his role in drafting laws to spare Mr Silvio Berlusconi from prosecution and protect the Italian prime minister's extensive media interests.
"In general terms, the Commissioner-designate gave a convincing impression of his personal and professional capacities and his aptitude to assume the high office for which he has been proposed," the letter said.
Liberal and left-wing members expressed some reservations but did not oppose the overall assessment, officials said.
It was the Civil Liberties Committee that took the unprecedented step of rejecting Mr Buttiglione as unsuitable after he said homosexuality was a sin and marriage existed for women to have babies and be protected by a male.
Mr Frattini faced a second hearing today by the Legal Affairs Committee, which was largely uncontroversial