EU: The incoming European Commission President, Mr José Manuel Barroso, is expected to propose a modest reshuffle of his commission today when he meets EU leaders in Brussels.
Mr Barroso was yesterday waiting for Italy's Mr Silvio Berlusconi to nominate a new commissioner following the withdrawal last week of the controversial Mr Rocco Buttiglione.
Latvia has already replaced its controversial nominee, Ms Ingrida Udre, who was due to become taxation commissioner. She was replaced with Mr Andris Piebalgs.
Mr Barroso is expected to allow three other nominees who faced criticism from MEPs - Hungary's Mr Laszlo Kovacs, the Netherlands's Ms Neelie Kroes and Denmark's Ms Mariann Fischer Boel - to remain.
Mr Kovacs could be moved from the energy portfolio to taxation, with Mr Piebalgs taking over at energy. Ms Kroes is expected to keep her competition portfolio, despite criticism of her extensive former business links, and Ms Fischer Boel is likely to remain in agriculture, despite an alleged conflict of interest.
The moves could be enough to win the support of a majority of MEPs for the new commission, perhaps as early as mid-November.
Mr Kovacs, Mr Piebalgs and the new Italian nominee would face new parliamentary hearings, probably next week.
Such a modest reshuffle is unlikely, however, to restore Mr Barroso's authority following last week's debacle, when he withdrew the entire commission from consideration by MEPs rather than face certain rejection.
Senior diplomatic sources said yesterday that EU leaders were reluctant to become too closely involved in the rebuilding of Mr Barroso's commission but hoped for a swift resolution of the crisis.
The leaders are due to discuss economic reform over dinner this evening but are widely expected to stray to other issues, including the commission impasse and the consequences for Europe of President Bush's election victory.
Foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Iraq this evening in preparation for the leaders' lunch tomorrow with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mr Iyad Allawi.
The ministers will also discuss efforts by France, Germany and Britain to persuade Iran to abandon its nuclear enrichment programme, and will consider a proposal by the EU foreign policy chief, Mr Javier Solana, to boost the EU's engagement in the Middle East peace process.
The leaders are also expected to agree on a new five-year plan to deepen co-operation in the fields of justice and home affairs.