26/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - Commission defends 5.8% rise in EEAS budget next year. The United Kingdom is opposed to a budget increase for the European External Action Service (EEAS), but the Commission is sticking to its guns. A spokesman said on Thursday 26 May that the EEAS had to be increased by 5.8% next year. The first 2011 budget was “too low to meet our obligations”, he added, explaining that, if only to pay for personnel costs, a 3.7% rise was needed. Certain expenditure was initially covered by other institutions, which will not be the case in 2012. Also, “our delegations in Tunisia and Egypt must be strengthened and an office opened in Benghazi”, the spokesman said. Catherine Ashton has planned to make savings (by reducing the cost of representation in the delegations, reducing spending for missions by officials in delegations, revising allocations for personnel of delegations, and grouping personnel in a single building). (L.C./transl.jl)