Luxembourg, 26/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - After discussions at the General Affairs Council, the president of the European Council, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker called on Member States on Monday evening to make concessions in negotiations on the next financial perspectives, stressing that it would be in their interest to conclude an agreement by the end of June (EUROPE 8935). Mr Juncker said during a press conference in Luxembourg after the signing ceremony for Romania and Bulgaria's accession treaties, that all Member States (i.e. the 25 plus Romania and Bulgaria) should make a move toward the others. If one sticks to one's positions, then one cannot expect the Presidency to be able to produce a compromise that takes the concerns of some and the desires of others into account, he warned. He went on to add that, if an agreement cannot be reached in June, then “he wishes Member States good luck for reaching an agreement under the next presidencies”, explaining that, if Member States “continue to stick to their positions, they will have to budge later - but under worse conditions”. This is a dossier that the Luxembourg Presidency hopes to close at the European Council in June, Mr Juncker repeated, recalling that the Presidency had presented a number of negotiating elements (“We call it the negotiating box so that no-one knows what we are talking about”, he joked), without figures, “but only principles on which the Presidency wants the Council to reach agreement”. Mr Juncker recalled that he was “firmly resolved” not to announce figures and not to evoke targets “before any public”, not even before the European Parliament (see other article). He said that, if he were to do so, the chances of reaching an agreement would immediately fall to zero.