Brussels, 24/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - José Manuel Barroso said, on Tuesday 24 January, that the intergovernmental treaty on budgetary union, which is currently being discussed (with a view to its adoption at the European Council on 30 January), is important if some principles are respected. As unanimity has proven impossible (because of the United Kingdom's refusal of the treaty), he said it was not possible to draft the text in the context of the current treaty. However, he went on, it is necessary for the intergovernmental treaty on the new budget pact to be in line with primacy of Community law, and for it to be part of the Community method and respect the role of the Community institutions while contributing more to Europe rather then less. Barroso was confident such an objective could be attained. The treaty must have the approval of the member states that signed the text but also the support of the European institutions, especially the Commission, the Parliament and the European Central Bank, the Commission president explained. It is important to have the support of Community institutions to ensure ratification is properly carried out in EU countries.
After his meeting with José Manuel Barroso, Martin Schulz said he welcomed the commitments taken by the Commission in the context of talks on the international agreement on budgetary union. The Commission, he said, has set an example on how to defend the Community method and has fought to ensure that, beyond what relates to constitutional law of member states, all the rest is maintained in secondary law and in codecision procedure between the Council and the EP. Schulz also thanked the Commission for its stance in favour of growth, saying: “There is maximum convergence of views between the EP and the Commission”. (LC/transl.jl)