Strasbourg, 05/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - Rapporteurs on the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) have launched a final appeal for budgetary cuts not to be made to this newly created fund. They are afraid that the CEF will once again become as a variable adjustment during negotiations on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework at the European Council on 7-8 February. MEPs Dominique Riquet (EPP, France), Inès Ayala Sender (S&D, Spain) and Adina-Ioana Valean (ALDE, Romania) stated that “the CEF is one of the best performing instruments we have for promoting growth, jobs and competitiveness in Europe. Let's not sacrifice it on the altar of austerity!” The Commission had proposed that this facility be given an envelope of €50 billion to fund transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructure. However, at the end of the first round of budget negotiations in November, this amount had already fallen to €41.2 billion (€27 billion for transport, €7.1 billion each for energy and telecoms). Moreover, nothing appears to suggest that the European Council is prepared to spare the CEF from new cuts. Hence, this final appeal from the rapporteurs concerned “to save” the Connecting Europe Facility. (MD/transl.fl)