Mandelson to meet new EU top team

Mandelson: Trade commissioner

Labour ex-cabinet minister Peter Mandelson is in Brussels for a "bonding session" with his fellow new EU commissioners.

New Commission President Jose Manual Durao Barroso is expected to use the meeting to set out his vision of how the new team should work together.

Mr Mandelson is one of 25 newly appointed commissioners and has been given the trade portfolio.

In a BBC interview, he said he wanted to fight for economic reform.

He said he also wanted to help the EU better explain itself to a sceptical public.

Asked what the consequences would be if the British or French people rejected the European constitution in referenda, Mr Mandelson said: "That will spark a major crisis.

The task for the Commission is to re-establish its credibility and others' confidence in it Peter Mandelson

"I don't think it will be insoluble - what it will mean is, we will have to go back, look at the reasons for the rejection, understand why the treaty has not been embraced by the public and address those concerns.

"It doesn't mean to say abandoning that project."

Public awareness

He went on to say that an expanded European union of 25 obviously needed a new set of rules to enable it to work properly.

"Now, if we failed along the line to communicate that properly, then we have to re-examine what we are doing and how, and do it a little bit better," he added.

In the BBC interview, he was asked whether he would act as Tony Blair's "eyes and ears in Brussels".

MANDELSON'S CAREER 1979-82 Lambeth councillor 1982-85 producer at London Weekend Television Late 1980s Director of Labour Party Campaigns and Communications 1992 Became MP for Hartlepool 1994 supported Blair's leadership bid 1997 Ran Labour's election campaign 1997 Named Cabinet Minister Without Portfolio 1998 Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 1998 Resigned over Geoffrey Robinson house loan affair 1999 Returned as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 2001 Resigned over Hinduja passports affair Profile: Peter Mandelson

He said his long-term ally had a perfectly good set of eyes and ears of his own but argued he remained "New Labour to my core".

On the apparent dissatisfaction among some British voters with the EU, Mr Mandelson said: "We have to make that connection in people's minds between their jobs, their employment and economic success and growth and the European Union."

Earlier, he explained: "We need to show we are on the public's side, doing what is important to make people better off and safer, and demonstrating our relevance to everyone in member states.

"For that we need a clear European vision, a clear set of priorities and a close working relationship to get the best out of the EU for the general public."

He added: "The task for the Commission is to re-establish its credibility and others' confidence in it."

The 25 new commissioners will take up their jobs on 1 November, once the commission has been approved by the European Parliament.

Among other portfolios, Germany's Guenter Verheugen becomes the bloc's industry chief and France's Jacques Barrot takes on transport.

Mr Mandelson has twice resigned from the UK Cabinet - including once as trade and industry secretary.