Strasbourg, 07/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - The day before adoption of the European Parliament's position on the next financial perspectives, the Luxembourg Presidency welcomed the consistency of the report by Reimer Böge (CDU) on this dossier, and the European Commission gave even stronger support to the stance taken by the EP temporary committee on the political challenges facing the enlarged EU and on its budgetary means. The Presidency confirmed that it planned to reach an agreement on the financial framework 2007-2013 during the European Council on 16 and 17 June.
Mr Böge stressed that the work accomplished by the temporary committee has shown “we are the institution that has analysed the European Commission's proposal most carefully” and that “we have a viable document, presenting an overall solution”. He repeated that, without the EP's opinion, there would be no agreement on financial perspectives. “We want a solution, but not at any price”, he warned, explaining: “When we consider that the Commission's proposals are correct, we follow them through, as we want more growth and more employment. However, we make cuts when we consider it necessary”, that is, when it is not a question of the integration process. According to Mr Böge, the goals set out in the report are: - to find a median voice between subsidiarity and European added value, in respect for budgetary discipline; - parallelism between the duration of financial perspectives and that of the Commission and EP mandate in order to respect the democratic legitimacy of the institutions; - simplification of the programmes and reform of the financial regulation; - respect for the EP's powers (mainly on foreign policy); - and a solution on receipts (improving current balances). Support also goes to research, development and life-long learning. The report provides for a total budget corresponding to 1.18% of the Gross National Income (GNI) of the enlarged EU in commitment appropriations and 1.07% in payment appropriations. Mr Böge called on MEPs to follow the “strong” negotiating position of the temporary committee. “We shall be able to launch concrete actions for a Europe that is closer to its citizens and turned toward the future”, he concluded.
Nicolas Schmit, speaking on behalf of the Council Presidency, recognised that the EP had shown proof of “realism” and that it had presented a “coherent approach”. With this report, he explained, ”you fix major parameters with a view to negotiation which (…), at the end of the day, is as decisive for the financial perspectives as that conducted last week in the European Council”. Furthermore, the Presidency does not miss an opportunity to recall that, in order to fix the financial perspectives, one also needs the agreement of the EP. The Presidency remains resolute about reaching an agreement during the European Council next week. Nothing should distract from the important objective that consists in ensuring that the EU has adequate resources to accomplish the tasks that lie ahead of it in coming years, MrSchmit said. The conclusion of an agreement in June is the best way to send a positive signal (after the crisis of ratification of the Constitution) and the only way to ensure that the level of resources is known sufficiently in advance for the different instruments and legislative programmes to be adopted and implemented in good time, the minister added. He went on to say: the EU must today more than ever show that it still has full decision-making capacity and that it knows how to make compromises in a matter that is as decisive as this for it to function smoothly. The Presidency presented the main elements of the last version of the negotiation framework (EUROPE 8960): - reductions (compared to the Commission's proposals) are needed in every area in order to strike a balance between very divergent views on a final spending level; - the total of EUR 870 billion proposed (1.06% of GNI in commitment appropriations) represents, on average, annual increases (compared to 2006) from 5 to 18% depending on the different headings of the financial framework; - negotiations will result only if a satisfactory solution is found to the problem of the British rebate (the Presidency suggests that the correction should correspond in 2007 to the nominal average over the seven year period preceding the last enlargement and that it will fall from the next year on); - specific measures are proposed for Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
President Barroso recognised that negotiation will be “very difficult”. “I still believe it is necessary and possible, despite major obstacles, to conclude an agreement in coming weeks”, he said, as such an agreement would show citizens that, despite the difficulties that we are experiencing over the Constitution, Europe is able to act, that it has a project for the future and that it is implementing that project. Mr Barroso restated his criticism about the elements of compromise presented by the Presidency (competitiveness and employment, freedom and justice and external affairs in particular) and on the cuts envisaged for research.