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Kirkhope Positive After Barroso Visit
7th September 2009
Commission President elect Jose Manuel Barroso met with the MEPs of the ECR Group today to spell out his vision for the next 5 years. Timothy, as vice Chairman of the ECR Group, chaired the meeting which lasted over two hours on Monday night.
Mr Barroso, who presented his written manifesto, said he was keen to build consensus within Europe, and although he admitted that there were some differences of opinion, he described the meeting as "constructive". The President of the Commission was asked for his views on a number of subjects such as institutional reform, the proposed Directive to regulate Hedge Funds, the EU's role in foreign affairs and tackling climate change.
After the meeting Mr Kirkhope said:
"We have asked Mr Barroso lots of questions, and naturally we don't agree with absolutely everything in the manifesto, but we are taking into account his record and what he is proposing for the next 5 years. I can say that the Group were grateful to him for coming and speaking in an open way with us. That's certainly a very positive sign. We shall holding further discussions on the Group's position later in the week."
ENDS
