Brussels, 16/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - The president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, has warned against the creation of own resources for financing the EU budget, as the European Parliament has been advocating in current talks on the 2011 budget (see related article). Van Rompuy fears, in particular, that there will be a loss of solidarity between wealthy countries and those that are not so wealthy but nonetheless states he is open to discussion on the matter. “We need to be very careful if we change the way of financing of the EU budget. One of the main instruments now is based on GDP of member states that reflects their capacity to pay. If you replace this GDP contribution by a European tax (…) you have more responsibility (…) but the result can also be less solidarity”, Van Rompuy said addressing the European Policy Centre (EPC) on 16 November in Brussels. “My point of view on this highly sensitive issue, at this stage, is: let's discuss it. We cannot avoid the discussion but let's be very cautious when we decide upon new ways and instruments to finance our budget. We have to be open for discussion”, said the president of the European Council.
One year of Lisbon Treaty. One year after his designation at the head of the European Council (19 November 2009), Herman Van Rompuy has also drawn up a balance sheet of his first year of work marked by the eurozone crisis. “This year of survival has not yet finished”, he said. The eurozone and the EU as a whole “will not survive” unless the current budgetary problems of some countries are resolved, he warned, although he went on to add that he was “confident” they could overcome this”. (H.B./transl.jl)