The European Parliament welcomes the idea of merging the functions of Javier Solana and Commissioner Patten. We welcome the idea of having a continuous Council Presidency to deliver more of what we say we want to do. However, the Parliament believes in a Presidency that gets things done and not in a super-Presidency that tries to oversell the capacity and function of such an office. We welcome the broad balance between the different institutions. It is important, especially in Ireland, that the Community method of making decisions remains strong in this treaty and that a new European Commission remains strong in articulating the Europe of tomorrow because the European Commission is the forum to which small states look for fair play and guardianship of the treaties.