(BRUSSELS) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi accused EU commissioners of causing trouble for national governments and warned he would raise the issue Thursday during the European Union summit.

"There is much to change in the European institutions, for example the attitude of the European commissioners, who leave governments in difficulties with their declarations," he said, according to participants at a meeting of conservative party leaders before the two-day summit opened here.

"I've said it to (European Commission chief Jose Manuel) Barroso and I intend to say it again today (at the summit)," said Berlusconi, attending his first EU gathering since returning to power on May 8.

"They have nothing to talk about. Their job is to tell member states how to achieve the objectives set by the heads of state and government.

"Governments should not have to find themselves under the newspaper spotlight every three days thanks to their statements.

"All this serves only to alienate citizens further from the European institutions."

The European Commission is the executive branch of the European Union and has turned up the heat recently on the Italian government.

In Italy on Thursday, parliament gave the green light to an emergency 300-million-euro (465-million-dollar) state loan aimed at saving flag carrier airline Alitalia from bankruptcy.

The European Commission earlier this month launched an illegal state aid probe into the loan over concerns that it might be "incompatible" with EU public aid rules.

His second spell as prime minister, from June 2001 to May 2006, was marked by running battles with the European Commission -- run by his adversary Romano Prodi, the Italian left leader, from September 1999 to October 2004.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.