JANUARY 18, 1999

Max plays politics

FED up with waiting for the European Commission to decide on whether or not the FIA conforms to Europe's competition regulations, FIA President Max Mosley has launched another assault on the Commission.

FED up with waiting for the European Commission to decide on whether or not the FIA conforms to Europe's competition regulations, FIA President Max Mosley has launched another assault on the Commission. Mosley has written to the European Parliament's Economic, Monetary and Industrial Policy Committee, claiming that the delaying of the Commission's decisions have caused damaging uncertainty for the international automobile federation.

The timing of Mosley's attack is interesting as it came at the same time as the European Parliament in Strasbourg voted to censure the Commission over allegations of fraud and mismanagement. The vote could have forced the resignation of all 20ÊCommissioners, including the head of the Competition Directorate Karel Van Miert. The President of the European Commission Jacques Santer managed to avoid a defeat by agreeing to appoint a group of independent investigators to examine claims against the Commission. Even with this concession the vote was only defeated by 293 votes to 232.

The current commission's mandate ends in January next year but it will have to be very careful not to upset the EuropeanÊParliament before then.