EU assembly avoids Nazi row with Italian minister

European Parliament members side-stepped a political storm over Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's comparison of one of them to a Nazi prison guard when they questioned his foreign minister yesterday.

In a sedate hearing which contrasted sharply with an uproarious parliament session last week where Berlusconi was heckled for his jibe at a German Social Democrat, MEPs stuck to the issue of Italy's plans for its six-month EU presidency.

Foreign Affairs Minister Franco Frattini used his address to Parliament's foreign affairs committee to stress it was now time to focus on Italy's agenda to forge an EU constitution, boost growth and develop an EU defence strategy.

"I believe we must concentrate on the work of the Italian presidency. Now is the time to do some concrete work," Frattini told a news conference after the hearing.

"The Italian presidency is serious about its work and intends to develop an ambitious programme."

Italy, at the helm of the EU for the next six months, plans to revitalise relations with the United States in the wake of the war against Iraq, which saw Europe divided on the issue.

The EU presidency will also try to accelerate accession procedures for EU candidates and strengthening ties with a whole range of EU trading partners, including Russia and Israel.

MEPs and reporters packed Parliament's foreign affairs committee for the first of a series of hearings where Italian ministers will lay out their plans for the rest of the year when Italy will chair all EU summits and ministerial meetings.