Mr. Michael Tutty:

I do not believe the Commission would be put off by a member state. If the Commission believes this is a serious issue in respect of which progress is required, it would come up with recommendations. Ultimately, it is the Commission that puts forward the country-specific recommendations. These are then are adopted by the Council. I do not believe there has ever been a case where the Council declined to adopt what was put forward by the Commission. It is welcome that they are discussed because it would be crazy if the Commission, off its own bat, came up with a set of recommendations that the member states did not believe were justified. At the same time, I agree with the Deputy that it would be a bad move if the Commission only put forward what the member states were happy with.

For example, when the Commission suggested a reform of the French pension system, the French Government said that it was a terrible idea and that the Commission should not ask it implement such reform. There is some tension but I would be most unhappy if the Commission would not put forward proposals just because a member state did not want to do something at a particular moment in time.