Brussels, 26/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Irish prime minister, Eamon Gilmore, said on Thursday 25 April 2013 in reaction to the EP's decision to cancel the three-way talks on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 that the talks should start without delay (see EUROPE 10835).
Gilmore said: “I must start by saying that I am very disappointed with the decision taken by the Parliament to cancel the meeting scheduled for today. I think my colleagues at the General Affairs Council will be similarly disappointed”.
He added: “We had a very good discussion at the General Affairs Council on Monday, which gave the Presidency a mandate to take forward work on the issues of concern to the Parliament. The Parliament set out clearly the issues of importance to it: revision of the budget, flexibility, own resources and the unity of the EU budget. In addition, the Parliament stated clearly that it would not open negotiations on the MFF until the Commission proposed an amending budget for 2013, thus linking the two issues explicitly. The Commission made its formal amending budget proposal on 27 March. Monday's General Affairs Council sent a strong signal of its determination to find a solution on the 2013 budget issue, and made clear its readiness to engage on the MFF issues of importance to the Parliament. We did this in order to clear the way for talks. All the conditions for negotiations are now in place. Negotiations have not yet formally started, and time is not on our side. The MFF is central to progress on jobs and growth in Europe”. (LC/transl.fl)