BRIAN CROWLEY MEP,
Sir, - Under the Nice Treaty, from the year 2004, the five larger states in Europe - namely Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Britain - will all forgo their right to nominate a second member to the European Commission.
Each member-state will nominate one member to the European Commission until the membership of the EU reaches 27 countries. This means that smaller member-states have the same rights of representation on the European Commission as larger member states.
The system of membership of the European Commission after the EU has more than 27 members will be decided upon only by full agreement of all governments in Europe and any new arrangement will be based on the principle of equality and strict rotation between smaller and larger member states.
It is clear that smaller member-states in Europe, including Ireland, did well out of the reform of the European Commission under the Nice Treaty.
It is very important that Ireland retains effective representation on the European Commission because this body controls the operation of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Transport Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy and Competition matters. - Yours, etc.,
BRIAN CROWLEY MEP, Bandon, Co Cork.