"The European Union needs a strong, legitimate and accountable Commission", European Liberal Democrat leader Graham Watson MEP (Lib Dem/UK) said today as his group endorsed the enlarged European Commission in the European Parliament today. Mr Watson congratulated Romano Prodi for assembling "a talented team of new Commissioners from the new Member States" and welcomed "the political balance which is found among the ten, as well as the presence of three women".

In a European Parliament debate on the approval of the enlarged European Commission, Mr Watson said:

"The European Union needs a strong, legitimate and accountable Commission, capable of providing political vision and leadership. EU leaders must reflect this in the Constitutional Treaty and in their nominations for the next Commission President."

Describing Parliament as the Union's "personnel officer" every five years, Mr Watson lamented the fact that "to date, our hearings of Commissioners have been handicapped by too much partisanship and too little sustained, in-depth questioning."

Rejecting the argument that the Commission should refrain from new political initiatives until the new college takes office in November, Mr Watson said:

"That argument not only impugns the professionalism of the Commission and its officials, but it parades a rather tenuous grasp of the European agenda. The Commission's mandate is for the running of the European Union. Yet there seem to be some in this House who would have it close down for the summer! Do they not envisage that the settlement of the European Union's budget for the next seven years, or the question of Turkish membership of the EU, might make some demands on the Commission's attention between now and November? To close down the Commission's right of initiative at this point would not just be wildly impractical - it would be downright irresponsible."

"And let's read between the lines here. Because my group will not be party to efforts to paint the Prodi Commission as a lame duck. Nor will it be a part of attempts to manufacture that lameness now by restraining the Commission's powers."

Mr Watson concluded: "The Commission must have the necessary latitude, over the next five months, to prepare the ground and to maintain the momentum necessary to make it a success. Indeed, to insist on anything else - especially just to pay party political dues - is risible."