Council linguists spoiled finance deal, says Borrell

By Jeremy Slater

Date: 24/02/05

The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have fallen out over the final text of a directive establishing a new organisational structure to govern market operations in Europe.

Despite the directive being adopted by the Council in March 2004, a letter from the Parliament confirming final agreement between the two institutions has not been sent. Josep Borrell, Parliament's president, was angered by what he saw as substantive changes to the directive made by the Council's legal linguistic services.

Borrell and his staff believe that the final text introduced substantial changes to the document that were not present in the version both institutions had agreed on.

"The services of the Council have introduced new items into the directive," explained a Parliament official.

"There were changes in the use of language which are totally disconnected from the background of the directive.

"Borrell's response was there seems to be a problem and we want an explanation on one or two points.

"We are fed up, because we feel there is no need for a second reading in Parliament," he said.

A Council of Ministers official said: "The Parliament is unhappy because it believes the substance has changed and we do not want to approve the directive if that is the way they feel."

• Jeremy Slater is a freelance journalist based in Brussels.

Article reports on a dispute between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament on the final version of a directive establishing a new organisational structure to govern market operations in Europe. Josep Borrell, President of the European Parliament, accused the Council's legal linguistic services of having made substantive changes to the directive.