Brussels, 30/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of the Regions has been making a charm offensive at the highest levels of the EU over the EU's budget and has clearly teamed up with the European Parliament in this domain. Given the huge threats of the EU's budget being cut after 2013, the subject is one of the CoR's main concerns because a dozen or so member states want the multiannual financial framework suggested by the European Commission last June to be cut by some €100 billion and, in addition to this pressure, it is highly likely that the budget will be reduced in any case due to the shrinking GDP of the member states.
Flo Clucas (ADLE, UK) kicked off with the first of a series of meetings. She is the head of the CoR's ad hoc committee on the EU's budget and in recent weeks has met with EP rapporteurs on the multiannual financial framework, Reimer Böge (EPP, Germany) and Ivailo Kalfin (ALDE, Bulgaria), along with the head of the EP's budgets committee, Alain Lamassoure (EPP, France), and Anne Jensen (ALDE, Denmark), rapporteur on EU own resources.
At the European Parliament, it would appear that Clucas' meetings are bearing fruit. Her MEP interlocutors are reported to have decided to cooperate with the CoR to try and achieve a well fleshed-out future budget. Clucas said they had agreed to work together because they shared a common vision in many areas and are well aware of the benefits of EP-CoR cooperation on the question of EU investment in European cities and regions. The liaison meetings will continue.
The problems, however, are with the member state governments. Clucas, an elected representative from Liverpool, has held meetings with sherpas and ambassadors from Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands and Sweden. She comments that these countries want to reduce the EU's budget by €100 billion, much to the CoR's consternation. Clucas said such a cut would negatively impact on the ability to create new business opportunities and jobs.
The determination of the above-listed member states has bolstered the CoR in its desire to take action to achieve a good budget. The CoR will be publishing new opinions on the issue at its upcoming plenary in May and in the second half of the year will be updating opinions already published on the multiannual financial framework. On 10 May, the CoR will be holding a budget forum to be attended by leading figures from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. (MD/transl.fl)