Dublin, 28/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - It is highly likely that the European Parliament will reject the political agreement on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) adopted by the Council. EP President Martin Schulz gave warning on this to Prime Minister Enda Kenny of Ireland, whose country currently holds the half-yearly presidency of the EU Council of Ministers, during an inter-institutional meeting in Dublin on Thursday 28 February.
Schulz and European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso met Taoiseach Enda Kenny to discuss their relative positions following the agreement reached on the European budget by the EU member states at the summit on 7 and 8 February (see EUROPE 10782). Schulz was highly critical of a budget that he believes to be the least modern in recent years, reflecting the “addition of 27 national interests but not a common European project” and reforming neither agriculture nor cohesion policy.
On that basis, Schulz announced to the press that “without anticipating the result (…) it is very likely that a majority will say no to the MFF as it is for the time being”. During the March plenary session, the EP will adopt a specific resolution on the 2014-2020 budget. Nonetheless, Schulz said, “it will not be a no to the MFF but to the agreement of Council”. “More or less none of what the EP is asking is being taken on board”, he regretted.
The German Social Democrat restated the three red lines on which MEPs continued to insist: - budget flexibility between the lines and in time; - the creation of own resources; - and a mid-term review clause. The European Parliament, he said, will reject the proposal put forward by the 27 heads of state and/or government but will not reject an MFF. He said Parliament wishes to negotiate its main points, calling on the Irish prime minister to do something to win the trust of the European Parliament.
Kenny spoke of the need for a team effort to be made to reach a good agreement. The MFF 2014-2020 will be discussed again during the spring European summit, on 14 and 15 March. Promising that the Irish Presidency would work hard with a view to reaching an agreement with the EP, Kenny also underlined that the “budget should fit the times we live in”. Despite the tough stance of the European Parliament, all parties took the view that the summit meeting was constructive and conducted in an open spirit. (MD/transl.jl)