Brussels, 22/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - As José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission said yesterday evening, the Commissioner for the budget Dalia Grybauskaité informed the press on Thursday that they would need to discuss financial perspectives for 2007-13 at the informal European summit on 27-28 October at Hampton Court Palace, near London, which would focus on the European social modal and the future of Europe (EUROPE 9032). Grybauskaité promised that the Commission was going to “exert pressure” on EU Member States “particularly the British presidency” so that the next financial perspectives were adopted by the end of the year.
Speaking at a press conference the Commissioner said that “the British presidency is carrying out consultations with each of the Member States and the Commission and there are no proposals on the table. We are convinced of the need to begin the discussions in October” (on financial perspectives). She pointed out that the informal European Council would focus on the European social model and the future of Europe and had obviously asked why they did not discuss the future of Europe's finances on this occasion as well. The Commissioner explained, “I think that the British presidency will include this dossier on the informal summit agenda and we hope there will then be concrete proposals by November for getting Member States to agree during the December European Council”. The British presidency does not at this stage want the future of the EU budget to be on the menu of October's informal Council. It only intends proposing the proposals on the financial framework for 2007-13 in November.