Brussels, 05/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 5 October, after two days of talks and votes, the European Parliament's budgets committee finalised its approach to the draft EU budget for 2012, broadly restoring the proposals initially unveiled by the European Commission but removed by the Council of Ministers in July.
The main changes tabled in the amendments lodged by members of the budgets committee are a rise in spending for Palestine (up €100 million), rises in expenditure on coastal surveillance in the Mediterranean, refugee management, lifelong learning and education (relating to the EUROPE 2020 strategy), funding for fruit and vegetable producers (€250 million) and development aid for Asia
and South America (€27 million). The savings they recommend include €26 million for the EU foreign and security policy.
Alain Lamassoure (EPP, France), who chairs the budgets committee, said the EP was fully aware of the serious budget, economic and financial situation in many EU countries and explained at a press conference that the EP was concerned to participate in the well-needed belt-tightening, but also wanted to continue to finance future-oriented spending needed to return to competitiveness and growth once the crisis is over, and this was the balance that had been sought in the amendments voted through by the budgets committee. The EP will defend its corner and wants the negotiations on the EU's budget for 2012 to be limited to just that, the budget for 2012, added Lamassoure, rather than addressing other issues, like the upcoming multiannual financial framework. He said the MEPs had been careful to remove the contradictions in the Council of Ministers' decisions, giving examples like the operating budget for financial supervision agencies and control of external borders, where the Council cut funding.
Rapporteur Francesca Balzani (S&D, Italy) said the committee had made an effort to ensure the EU's budget for 2012 was a true response to the situation, whittling down its priorities appropriately. The budgets committee decided to focus resources on action to rapidly implement the EUROPE 2020 strategy, adding some €30 million to the budget for areas connected with the strategy.
The committee members refused to cut the budget for the seventh framework-programme of R&D to finance the ITER nuclear fusion programme, despite the fact that this is desired by both the Commission and the Council of Ministers. The MEPs say that fresh cash must be found for ITER.
Agriculture. The budgets committee was asked by the agriculture committee to add €250 million to set up a fund for fruit and vegetable producers, and duly did so. The money will be used to prevent future crises. The committee backs the programme to provide food aid to poor Europeans.
Freedom, Security, Justice and Citizenship. The MEPs disagree with the Council's cuts to the EU's refugee fund, the European Return Fund and the External Borders Fund, suggesting instated a rise of €25 million for the EU External Borders Agency to help it monitor coastlines in the Mediterranean and step up controls of the border between Greece and Turkey. The budgets committee suggested a further €5 million for youth-related projects in the EU's neighbourhood policy with the EU's southern and eastern borders.
Foreign Affairs. In addition to extra cash for Palestine and aid for Asia and Latin America, the MEPs added €3 million for election observation and €3 million for the Turkish Cypriot
community. The cash comes from cuts suggested by the MEPs in other areas, like the EU's police mission in Afghanistan.
Budget of the EP and other EU institutions. The rapporteur on the budget for the EP and the other EU institutions, José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, Portugal), said that all the EU institutions had made enormous efforts and had respected the letter sent by the budget commissioner, ensuring a rise of less than 1% for all the institutions and preserving wriggle room to the tune of €500,000. Instead of a 2.3% rise in the EP's budget (forecast in April), the budgets committee opted for a 1.9% increase, despite increased demands (the 18 new MEPs introduced by the Lisbon Treaty and preparing for Croatia to join the EU). The MEPs called for a 5% reduction in their travel expenditure and the travel costs of other EP staff, and are planning to save money on translation and interpreting.
Next steps. The budgets committee will pass a resolution on 11 October to explain the
votes on the amounts. A conciliation meeting with the Council will take place on 8 November and another conciliation meeting is planned for 18 November ahead of a final vote in plenary on
1 December. (LC/transl.fl)