EU officially nominates Barroso for second term

"The (European) Council, in the composition of heads of state or government, adopted today a decision nominating Mr. Jose Manuel Durao Barroso as the person the Council intends to appoint as president of the commission for the period from Nov. 1, 2009 to Oct. 31, 2014," the EU leaders said in a statement.

   The EU leaders gave their unanimous political backing to Barroso for a second term at their summit in June. Thursday's formal decision intended to send a clearer signal to the European Parliament, where conservative Barroso has faced opposition particularly from the socialist group, the second largest political force in the house.

    Barroso, currently the only candidate, enjoyed the backing of the center-right political group, the biggest political force in the European Parliament, but it does not have a majority.

    Barroso's appointment must be approved by the European Parliament. The vote on his appointment may not come until September.

    Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, urged an early vote in the European Parliament.

    Barroso, 53, has served as the European Commission president since November 2004 and his term expires in October.

    If reelected, the former Portuguese Prime Minister said his two urgent priorities would be the economic crisis and climate change, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version.