26/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - Reinhold Bocklet, Minister of the Land of Bavaria for European Affairs, welcomed the request made by the European Parliament during the vote in first reading of the EU budget for 2002, to include in this budget additional funding for EU border regions that will feel the most impact from enlargement of the Union to the East. The vote "may become a milestone in the efforts aimed at controlling enlargement", he said. He reproached the Schröder government for not fighting for the German border regions. According to Mr Bocklet, "it would be an act of justice" for these border regions "not to be placed in a more disadvantageous situation, during enlargement eastward, than France or Italy during enlargement to the south".