Brussels, 09/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has confirmed its ambitions for the negotiations on the forthcoming financial perspectives 2007-2013. It is worth noting that the talks are expected to be difficult. After the debate it held on Thursday ahead of the European Council of 16 and 17 December, José Manuel Barroso's Commission dug its heels in over its refusal to freeze the expenditure of the European budget at 1% of the gross national income (GNI) of the EU, a firm demand of the six "skinflints of Europe" (Germany, Austria, France, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden). Furthermore, the Commission officially announced that it had high hopes that a political agreement could be concluded under the Luxembourg Presidency by June 2005.
Despite rumours of possible concessions to be offered to the six so-called countries of rigour, the Barroso Commission continues publicly to declare that it supports the proposals presented by the old Romano Prodi team, which provides for an increase in the expenditure of the Community budget 2007-2013 to 1.14% of GNI.
According to a press release, the debate which took place on Thursday at the Commission allowed Mr Barroso to draw the following conclusions: -"it is impossible to have more Europe with less money"; -"the political project on which the [Commission's] proposals are based is fundamentally sound and reflects a very broad consensus [within the College]. It is based on a number of well-established priorities which have already been taken". Mr Barroso said that it was not credible, in the view of the Commission, "to think that enlargement can be possible without increasing cohesion expenditure" to give a boost to the least-favoured regions of the Union of 25. He also pointed out that, as per the Lisbon Strategy, public expenditure in various fields, such as research and networks, are a key factor for growth.
The President of the Commission acknowledged that the EU's budget must also offer the tax payer value for money. The budget "should not just be used when it can bring results which cannot be felt at national level", he said, stressing that the Union's desire for more weight on the international scene would never materialise "without an increase" of Community expenditure.
Mr Barroso also hinted obliquely that limiting Community expenditure to 1% of GNI could call the agreement to limit agricultural market expenditure from 2007 to 2013 into question. However, he said, "we cannot suddenly decide to bin" this agreement, he warned, referring to decisions taken buy the European Council of October 2002.
Speaking alongside him, the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, said that any possible reduction of budget within her sphere of competency would be "false economy for the EU as a whole, but also for the six countries which are seeking to reduce expenditure, because it would be those of their regions which benefit from the programme which would be the first to suffer".