FORMER European commissioner Karel Van Miert has died, aged 67, following a fall from a ladder. The Belgian Socialist, who came from a farming family, was appointed Brussels commissioner for transport in 1989 but was probably best known for his work as competition commissioner from 1993 onwards. Like the majority of Belgians he was a firm believer in the European cause. European Commission president Jose Barroso yesterday called him a “convinced and committed European” who believed that the European internal market was a tool for implementing social reforms.