Schroeder Wants Strong European Commission 　　German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (fourth from the right of the front row) and European Commission President Jacques Santer (fourth from the left of the front row) posed for a photo taken with others after German Cabinet and European Commission held talks in Bonn Monday. 　　In the meeting Schroeder called on the European Parliament to ponder key tasks of financial reform and EU expansion. 　　Bonn needed a strong Commission to reform EU finance by a March summit in order to pave the way for taking in new member states from Eastern Europe, stressed Schroeder at a Bonn news conference with European Commission President Jacques Santer. 　　Germany currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. 　　In a related development, ex-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl rejected suggestions from Santer that he consider becoming the next EU Commission president when Santer's term ends next year. 　　Schroeder repeated earlier warning that failure to agree on EU finance by March could lead to a delay in taking in new members from the former East Bloc. 　　Reform of farm subsidies remains key to revamping the Union's finance and every member state must be prepared to compromise, said Schroeder. 　　 WorldNews 1999-01-13 Page6 Full Story in Chinese