Four States Press to Curb Commission's Budget Power

The German initiative, which is also supported by Italy, Poland and Greece, says that "the Commission should maintain its right to submit recommendations to the Council, as it is originally foreseen in the stability and growth pact," Italian news agency Ansa reported. According to this news agency, these four countries are against an article in the draft annex to the EU Constitution that gives larger powers of control to the European Commission when a country has excessive public deficits. Under the stability and growth pact, which underpins the euro, a country should keep its deficit below 3% of GDP. News agency AGI says this proposal is likely to be examined on Monday during an EU foreign affairs meeting in Luxembourg and is in addition to the other disputed issues still unresolved in the EU Constitution. (EUobserver.com)