Brussels, 25/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Claudio Martini, President of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) tells EU heads of state, European Commissioners and MEPs: 'No to Europe paying the price of derisive budget agreements;. Martini is concerned at the way budget negotiations are going over the Financial Perspectives for 2007-2013 (see Europe No. 8952). He writes: 'On examining the latest recommendations from the Luxembourg Presidency, it can be taken as read that the ambitious four-year run-up to a new phase in the European integration process may well end up once more with Member States withdrawing into national self-interest This was already the case in Berlin in 1999 and will be an even more likely event in Brussels in June 2005. The announced result is all the more regrettable in that it is highly likely to be confirmed, despite the firm European convictions and negotiating skill displayed by the six-month Presidency.' Claudio Martini says: 'he major political advances have met with the following responses: a) A historic and unprecedented unification of the European continent after centuries of division? Let's cut funding for cohesion policy down to 0.37% of EU27's Gross National Income as opposed to 0.41% as suggested by the European Commission in its already very modest proposals; b) A Lisbon Strategy designed to make Europe the most competition economy in the world? Let's do away with the budget earmarked for research, innovation, TEN-T, and employment and training; c) A more democratic Europe closer to its citizens with a greater involvement of regional and local authorities? Let's reduce the regional competitiveness and employment objective, which concerns over 65% of the EU population, to an unacceptable amount that is barely more than symbolic; d) A Europe which gives more weight to the European Parliament to improve the way democracy works? A Presidency of the Council that seems to be totally unaware of the policy positions resulting from the unprecedented work undertaken by the Boge report; e) 17 out of 25 governments have taken a stand as friends of cohesion? Let's continue to focus exclusively on a group of 6 of the wealthiest states, that are divided and incapable of agreeing on what the priority budget headings should be or how the Union should be financed.'
Claudio Martini continues: 'At a time when many pro-European organisations are leading campaigns throughout the EU to support the draft constitutional treaty, the budget negotiations are quite likely to discourage the most fervent supporters. Have some states already decided to allow the vision of Europe to be blurred by globalisation? Should our only joint action be limited to a defensive position on trade against new world powers? Should we sacrifice a social development model that is held up as an example in many other continents?' Martini concludes that 'President Barroso is right to talk of a 'Europe on the cheap'. Let us hope that Europe will quite simply not pay the wrong price.'