Strasbourg, 15/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday, the European Parliament endorsed the EU's budget for 2006, setting payments at EUR 111.189 bn (1.01% EU GNI) and income at EUR 121.189 bn (1.09% of EU GNI), following the agreement struck on 30 November by the three institutions (see EUROPE 9080) on spending (up 5.3% on 2005). Adopting the report by Gianni Pittella (PES, Italy), the EP said it was disappointed the Council had not agreed on a bigger budget. On farming (payments of EUR 50.9 bn, including rural development), the MEPs regretted the cuts made by the Council across the board but 'are happy that the 'food for poor people' programme has been increased.' On structural operations (EUR 35.6 bn payments), the EP is disappointed that the 'implementation of structural actions in the new Member States had not been as good as expected.' The Council accepted the EP's request to provide EUR 100 mil extra funding for programmes directly affecting the public and crucial to the Lisbon Strategy, like SMEs, R&D and Socrates. Around EUR 275 mil extra is planned for external actions via the flexibility instrument for reconstruction in Iraq and countries hit by the December 2004 tsunami. EUR 16 mil of the Commission's administration budget has been put in reserve. The EP has retabled the new positions not endorsed by the Council.