Brussels, 12/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday the European Commission welcomed the report of Reimer Böge (CDU), adopted two days earlier by the European Parliament temporary committee on devising the next financial perspectives (EUROPE 8945). In a press statement the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso was pleased that Böge's report, “market a real step forward in negotiations”. According to Barroso this sis the “first complex response” to Commission proposals and this report will serve as a reference point for the next stage (negotiations).
Barroso pointed to the “broad convergence” between the Commission and members of the temporary committee on the analysis of political needs, “even if our positions do not converge on all the details”. He recalled that an agreement in June on financial perspectives for 2007-13 was of huge significance for the effective functioning of the European Union.
Mr Böges' report on the next financing framework plans to include a Community budget of 1.07% of Gross National Income (GNI) in credit payments, EUR 883 bn (2007-13) and 1.18% of GNI in the EU for payment appropriations (EUR 975 bn over seven years). The difference between the Commission's proposals and that of the Böge report is minimal (+0.01% of GNI in Commission proposal), if speeding the EP would like to exclude from the Community budget is included.