Brussels, 24/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - The economy and finance ministers of EU Member States meeting in “budget session” sought on Thursday evening, to reach an agreement in second reading on the draft budget 2006. Consultation between the Council and the European Parliament delegation was tough going (EUROPE 9074). The EP called for the flexibility instrument to be mobilised (a mechanism allowing for the ceiling of the EU budget heading to be exceeded by a total of EUR 200 million) in order not to have to review its ambitions downward when it comes to external actions. The British EU Council presidency was extremely reticent but did not, however, call into question the more significant financial contributions such as the EUR 200 million for reconstruction in Iraq, EUR 180 million for the Asian countries affected by the tsunami, or the EUR 40 million in favour of ACP sugar producing countries affected by the European sugar reform (see other article). Another point of dissension was the volume of payment appropriations in 2006. Member States defended the Council's stance in first reading, whereas the EP recommended an increase in structural action in particular. The Council also placed emphasis on the need for payment appropriations to be increased to EUR 60.9 million in the budget for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). At the time of going to press, discussions between the two branches of the budgetary authority had not yet ended.