European Parliament to vote Sept 16 on Barroso job

(BRUSSELS) - The European parliament will vote on September 16 on whether to return Jose Manuel Barroso to the EU's most high-profile post, an assembly spokesman confirmed Thursday.

"The vote will take place next week on Wednesday at midday," he said, after political groups in the parliament agreed on the date following three days of hearings involving the former Portuguese premier.

Barroso, 53, is the only publicly-declared candidate for the post. He has been endorsed by European Union leaders, but he must also receive the backing of the new European parliament for a new five-year term.

He has been criticised for the commission's slow reaction to the financial crisis last year, but while the assembly, freshly elected in June, is keen to flex its political muscle he is likely to be returned.

"In this time of economic crisis, we can not afford to continue in a political vacuum," European Parliament president Jerzy Buzek said in a statement.

"We need to be able to move forward, deciding whether or not Mr Barroso will be commission president for the next five years."

Next week's vote will be held in Strasbourg.

The European Commission is the EU's executive arm. Based in Brussels, it is responsible for drawing up legislation that impacts on the lives of about half a billion Europeans, as well as enforcing the rules already in place.

Its president -- who like the commissioners is appointed rather than elected -- has significant leverage to influence legislative priorities. The commission will have a budget of 138 billion euros (200 billion dollars) in 2010.