In a speech given on 14 March 2000, Michel Barnier, Member of the European Commission, outlines the reasons for the additional contribution of the Commission to its opinion of 26 January 2000 on the extension of qualified-majority voting. In particular, Mr Barnier clarifies the criteria governing the move to qualified-majority voting in sensitive areas such as tax and social security and clears up the confusion between a ‘transfer of powers’ and a ‘change in the decision-making process’.