Brussels, 14/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's budgets committee, chaired by Alain Lamassoure (EPP, France) has finally agreed to the figures in the new draft EU budget for 2011 without any changes, following its adoption without debate by the EU Council of Ministers on 10 December (see EUROPE 10275), haunted by the threat of “provisional twelfths” but not entirely satisfied about everything it had been calling for.
Addressing plenary on 14 December, the rapporteur on the EU's general budget, Sidonia Jedrzejewska (EPP, Poland), stressed the positive elements in the budget procedure, firstly the fact that an agreement had been reached, despite disagreement, on policies that the EU views as crucial. At the end of what she described as a painful process at times, she asked the Council of Ministers whether it was prepared to accept the joint statement on the EU's multiannual Financial Framework. German Green MEP Helga Trüpel, rapporteur on the budgets of the other EU institutions, said that the EP had shown itself to be reasonable by agreeing to cut its own budget by €25 million.
Speaking for the Belgian Presidency, Melchior Wathelet said that inauguration of a new procedure had shown that everyone wanted an agreement. He welcomed the way the EP agreed to the restrictions demanded by the Council of Ministers, which clearly endorsed the joint statement, he added, citing a letter from the Belgian prime ministers to EP President Buzek, committing the four upcoming Presidencies on this issue. The EP will also receive satisfaction for its other fundamental demand, that there should be a debate on EU own resources (alternative sources of funding) because the Commission is prepared to use its right of initiative to launch reflection in this domain.
Speaking on behalf of the European Commission, Janusz Lewandowski said that a budget crisis had been averted and the EP's main priorities, like the contingency margin, had been taken into account. The possibility of taking speedy action if new funding appears to be necessary has been provided by the option of making use of the reserves, he added, explaining that passing the multiannual financial framework is crucial if the Lisbon Treaty is to be transposed on time. Without the financial framework, the EU will be on shifting sands, he explained.
Hungarian MEP László Surján (EPP) said that the Treaty had forced everyone to reach agreement. He welcomed the increased cohesion policy funding. German MEP Martin Schulz (S&D) expressed astonishment that some people criticised the politicising of the debate, which he saw as the right thing to do. The successful outcome is largely due to the Belgian Presidency, which made it very clear that the next four Presidencies (Hungary, Poland, Denmark and Cyprus) are prepared to get the EP involved in the talks about the EU's financial perspectives, despite hostility from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Speaking for the Greens/EFA, Belgian MEP Isabelle Durant regretted the lack of true political agreement, which the EP had called for a month ago. She said that everyone agreed, and even said so very forcefully but then everyone had retracted. She said that while this particular opportunity had been missed, this would be made up for in the future. The GUE/Nordic Left, explained Portuguese MEP Miguel Portas, joined the compromise reluctantly although it would have preferred a vision of the future and predicts an inevitable round of amending budgets. MEPs were divided over ITER, with those in favour arguing against a long-term solution. Alain Lamassoure said that the remarkable Belgian Presidency must be looking at the €570 million that will be going to the member states instead of to ITER as a gift. He added that although an agreement had been reached, the underlying problems remained. The EU's budget is protected by law but politically bankrupt, he added, because the EU does not have the resources to finance what it decides upon. Secure new sources of funding for future EU policies was needed that was not a burden on national budgets, some of which, however, should come from national budgets, said Lamassoure, calling for 2011 to be the Year of Budget Solidarity. (L.G./transl.fl)