Rome - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso arrived Monday in Italy for talks with Italian leaders including a meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday.

Barroso, who as commission president, heads the European Union's executive, was scheduled to meet Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Monday evening.

Barroso's visit comes amid tensions between Italy and the EU over the Berlusconi conservative government's proposals to make illegal immigration a crime and to fingerprint members of the ethnic Roma community, including children.

Last week the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on Rome to shelve its plans to fingerprint the Roma - who are colloquially known as gypsies - branding the policy an "act of discrimination" requiring a European Commission investigation.

Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has defended the policy as a means to obtain figures on the number of Roma living in shanty towns around Italy, and to identify and protect Roma children from being exploited by adults, including being forced into begging.

Barroso is also expected to discuss the EU's Treaty of Lisbon reforms which the Italian parliament has yet to ratify. (dpa)