President Prodi began his intervention by speaking of East Timor. I would like to ask him whether he proposes any common European action in relation to East Timor. We are arriving at the decisive moment in this long gestation period of the Millennium Commission: its investiture, with the democratic legitimacy which the recent elections to the European Parliament have given us. The Group of the has behaved coherently throughout the process, and this can be summed up in the affirmation of the need to positively overcome the institutional and political crisis which has paralysed the Union since December of last year. We need construction rather than destruction, so that we can set to work with the aim of resolving the problems and responding to the aspirations of our citizens. To this end, the House took a first step in May by voting en masse for Romano Prodi as President of the Commission. Today, I can restate the support of our group which has felt free to vote, into such an important post, a politician with such a long pro-European record, whose party history we do not share, although we appreciate his journey between the cross, the olive tree and the donkey. We have never asked to see Mr Prodi’s party membership card in order to vote him into such a high post. With the same criteria we have examined, in writing and orally, the team which President Prodi, after negotiations with the governments of the Member States, has presented to us as his government. For the purposes of getting to know the personalities and suitability of the candidates for the fulfilment of their duties, we believe that the public hearings have been a positive exercise in democracy and transparency, and those who have tried to turn them into a witch-hunt have failed. As a conclusion to the process, we have decided to support the investiture of the new Commission despite the reservations which we have in relation to Mrs Palacio, whose innocence we accept, but whose idea of political responsibility in a matter which concerns the Community budget we do not share. Let us hope that, as Vice-President, she offers more trustworthy information than she gave on her exoneration by the Congress of Deputies. This debate will be carried out in plenary session next Thursday in Madrid. With regard to Mr Bolkestein, the conditions which President Prodi himself imposed on his team, as we understand it, oblige him to renounce the Presidency of the Liberal International, because of incompatibility, and not because we want him to renounce his ideas, especially those which he demonstrated during his hearing. Our vote is not a blank cheque. By offering him our trust, we are establishing an umbilical cord which completes the legitimacy of the Commission as the responsible executive in democratic terms. We are doing this in the hope that they work hard and effectively during the legislature. And our relations must be based on how we obtain and maintain the trust between ourselves and our citizens. This is the only way of preventing new crises and overcoming the present one. To this end, we propose the following specific commitments, which we believe may serve as the basis for a new contract with our peoples. The Commission must present that political programme for the legislature which you, Mr Prodi, on the proposal of my group, committed yourself to in January, with annual debates and programmes. May I point out that this proposal has been accepted by the Conference of Presidents and requires a de facto amendment of our Rules of Procedure. With regard to this debate, I tell you in advance that my group will require the acceptance of further specific commitments in terms of policies on employment, social and economic cohesion and the modernisation of our economies, taking into account people, enlargement, the Mediterranean and the defence of human rights throughout the world, as cornerstones of our foreign policy. Meanwhile, we have to negotiate a framework agreement which forms a solid basis for the improvement of our institutional relationships, with measures relating to transparency and information, such as obtaining the working documents of the Council, the Minutes of the meetings of the College of Commissioners, except when confidentiality has been agreed, or an information system on the work of OLAF which would take into account the necessary discretion. With a good framework agreement, the question of individual condemnation of Commissioners will be put on the correct footing: that of the public political commitment of President Prodi and all the candidates to this Parliament. In the event that a Commissioner clearly loses the trust of Parliament, it will be up to you and the person concerned to take responsibility. Let us hope that there is no repeat of what happened to that spiritual leader of the West, Mr Stoiber, President of the Government of Bavaria, who did not manage to turn his Minister Sauter into a scapegoat and get him to resign and consequently, has had to appeal to his own Parliament. We are talking here in political terms and amongst responsible people. No regulation can replace honesty in this area. There are two areas in which a close relationship between our institutions can create trust between our citizens. The first is the reform of the institutions. We await the Commission’s proposal for reform which you have announced and which Vice-President Kinnock is due to present in February. For our part, and I say this solemnly, we can contribute, using this time to approve the statutes of the Members of the European Parliament and the assistants, by means of which we, ladies and gentlemen, can teach by example. The second area is the Intergovernmental Conference. We cannot wait for the programme. I take your word, Mr Prodi, and I hope that we can debate the report of the three experts before the Helsinki Summit in order to establish a common approach for the Commission and the European Parliament for the purposes of the Intergovernmental Conference. We will vote for the investiture of the Commission for the legislature without condition or reserve, and also without renouncing our rights and responsibilities so that it can set to work as of tomorrow to do what it has to do, what our peoples want it to do, and to do it well. (Applause)

Political group: PSE