The European Commission took issue yesterday with an outburst by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Russia's Yukos affair and Chechnya, as the Italian leader once again plunged the EU into a full-blown diplomatic row.

The EU executive, reiterating notably its concern over the controversy surrounding the Russian oil company Yukos whose tycoon boss resigned this week after being arrested, also suggested that Berlusconi - who currently holds the EU's six-month presidency - was at odds with the EU member states he is supposed to represent.

"We do not share the view of Prime Minister Berlusconi" on either the Yukos issue or the dragging conflict in the Russian republic of Chechnya, said commission spokesperson Reijo Kemppinen, adding he would describe Berlusconi's comments as "personal remarks".

"The commission position and in so far as we know the position of the member states is rather clear and not exactly the same as expressed yesterday" by Berlusconi in Rome, he added.

It is far from the first time that the colourful Italian premier has sparked a diplomatic storm: his debut EU performance in July descended into farce when he likened a German Euro-deputy to a Nazi camp guard. The diplomatic chill between Rome and Berlin took months to thaw.

Critics had predicted problems well before the billionaire media magnate-cum-politician took the EU helm: the Economist weekly, noting his multiple legal clouds, starkly warned that he was "unfit" to run Europe.

His latest undiplomatic outburst came at the closing press conference of an EU-Russia summit in Rome on Thursday.

Berlusconi, in typical flamboyant style, leapt into the role of Vladimir Putin's "lawyer" and accused the European media of "telling tales" about the situation in Chechnya.

The Italian leader interjected when the Russian president was asked a question about the rule of law in Russia, against the background of the Yukos scandal and the situation in Chechnya.

"The truth is that there are often distortions in the press, in Italy as abroad. It's the same thing as far as Chechnya and the Yukos story is concerned," said Berlusconi, whose media empire makes him Italy's richest man.

The comments caused outrage in Brussels, where a spokesperson diplomatically deflected a question as to whether the remarks were helpful.

"I would not qualify the remarks of the presidency. I would simply say that nsofar as the commission is concerned on those two particular issues our position is different".

On the campaign launched against Yukos, Russia's number one oil company, which has raised fears abroad of a heavy-handed Kremlin approach to the Russian economy, the EU commission spokesperson reiterated Brussels' concerns.

Former Yukos chief executive and main shareholder Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who has voiced opposition to Putin, was arrested on October 25 and is being held on seven counts including fraud, tax evasion and embezzlement.

"Even though the affair is an internal judicial matter for Russia, it also has wider implications," said Kempinnen.

"Foreign and more particularly European business has all the right to be sure that certain security of investment is guaranteed in Russia .. this case has raised concerns in this respect," he added.

Criticism of Berlusconi's remarks was widespread yesterday - including in the Italian press.

"In defending, sword in hand, the Russian actions in Chechnya and declaring himself Putin's guarantor on the Yukos affair, Berlusconi went beyond a mere diplomatic gaffe," said the left-leaning La Republica.

In Germany the centre-left Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said Berlusconi's latest outburst "shows once again that the current EU president does not have the European sense; he is not a man for the community". – Sapa-AFP.