Resolution: Presidency of the European Commission
Considering:
·         the objective of European liberals and democrats to develop a more political Europe;
·         the key role of European political parties in linking public opinion with the actions of the European institutions by becoming active proponents of European policy options;
·         the adoption by the European Commission of updated rules for the activities and funding of European political parties on 27 June 2007;
·         the draft Reform Treaty circulated by the presidency of the IGC in July 2007, which confirms that the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall propose to the European Parliament a candidate for President of the Commission “taking into account the elections to the European Parliament” and that this candidate shall be “elected” by the European Parliament by a majority of its component members;
The ELDR Congress is of the opinion that European liberals and democrats should put forward a common candidate to the presidency of the European Commission in 2009 and mandates the ELDR Bureau to submit at the next ELDR Congress in 2008 a process proposal for nominating that common candidate as well as a proposal of political platform on which ELDR member parties can campaign jointly for the European Parliament elections of June 2009.