Brussels, 06/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Bulgarian S&D MEP Ivailo Kalfin told a press conference on Thursday 6 September 2012 with two other Europea Parliament negotiators from the Informal Council at the end of August about his concerns regarding the multiannual financial framework (MFF, the EU's budget) 2014-2020 talks. He said that the progress report was far from encouraging (see EUROPE 10678), explaining that the Council of Ministers was highly divided and that, if the EU's budget were to be cut, that would mean even less cash for growth and jobs programmes. He urged the member states to make clear where exactly they wanted the budget to be cut and which programmes would have to be cancelled due to lack of resources.
Kalfin said that the European Parliament would not rubberstamp the new budget without expressing its opinion. The EP wants to negotiate rather than be presented with a fait accompli. He explained that MEPs want their own debate with the Council of Ministers and would like to see what they are talking about set down in a document. The EP has suggested to the Council and Commission to sign a document setting out issues to be discussed and a timetable for the talks and is now awaiting a response from the Council, he said, pointing out that the member states hadn't seemed very enthusiastic about the idea at the Cyprus informal summit, but they would have to do something if they wanted to see any progress.
Kalfin welcomed the move by the Cypriot Presidency to organise a special European Council at the end of November to discuss the MFF. He said the talks needed to be speeded up and given more urgency, adding that the European Parliament supports the Cypriot Presidency's plan of agreement being reached later this year so tht the MFF can be operational as from 1 January 2014 because time will be needed to get the related EU and national legislation introduced. (CG/transl.fl)