THE European Commission will meet in crisis session today to discuss defusing the impending clash between it and the European Parliament over BSE.
The Commission meeting at lunchtime has been called as the debate on a motion of censure against it begins in the parliament.
While Commission representatives are confident the parliament will not go all the way and attempt to sack the Commission, there was unease here last night over the possible outcome.
Over 70 MEPs have signed the motion of censure, which was tabled last week by Mr Jose Happart, a Belgian Socialist, but most of his support has come from smaller groups.
The censure motion is aimed at forcing Commission members to resign collectively over the commission's handling of the BSE crisis since early this decade.
While the main groups in the parliament, the Socialists and the Christian Democrats, do not want to sink the European boat, there are indications they would like to rock it.
The censure debate flows from a sub committee of the parliament's Agriculture Committee, which examined the Commission's handling of BSE.
It lays most of the blame at the door of the UK government for the problem, but criticises successive Agriculture Commissioners, including Ireland's Mr Ray MacSharry, for the way the problem was addressed.
The issue has also brought up old inter state rivalries, and with the British being put on the rack, a heated debate is expected today.
There will be only two Irish speakers, Mr Liam Hyland of Fianna Fail Mr Mark Killilea, also Fianna Fail.
Neither is expected to want the Commission's resignation, nor will the Green MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, who said the Greens want to give the Commission more time to put its house in order before seeking their sacking. Ms McKenna did, however, criticise the Labour MEP, Ms Bernie Malone, for calling those who seek the expulsion "extremists". Such allegations were unfair.