Brussels, 17/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 17 December, the European Parliament (EP) debated the 2009 EU budget and appeared fairly disappointed by the lack of resources to meet the many challenges resulting from the economic and financial crisis and to fund the European economic rescue plan. On Thursday 18 December, the EP will formally adopt (in second reading) next year's Community budget.
Although there are now very few contentious points in the budget debate, the rapporteur, Jutta Haug (SPD) immediately declared that this was down to the spirit of cooperation demonstrated by the Commission, while the Presidency of the Council was “markedly uncommunicative” - although coming from the Council, this was hardly any surprise, she bitterly pointed out. The Council is demanding reductions in payments and insists that what is not spent be recovered. Haug explained that the EP is prepared to release the funds needed to stimulate employment, kick-start the economy and bolster state coffers but would not do it blindfolded.
László Surjan (EPP-ED, Hungary) asked what message they should be sending out to citizens and defended his group's amendments (for €1bn) to make more visible measures helping SMEs and promoting energy security and disadvantaged areas. Catherine Guy-Quint (PES, France) presented a grievance list: lack of resources for economic recovery policy, difficulties in the implementation of regional solidarity, too much money spent on market agriculture expenditure, a sprinkling of funds on security and justice policy, too great a division between commitments and payments and the “unrealistic bouquet” of promises made on external action but with insufficient funding. Anne Jensen (ALDE, Denmark) welcomed the fact that the Commission had met the challenge of introducing more flexibility into the budget, for example, the food facility which was “a very interesting instrument”. The ALDE Group will help find a solution to underpin the initiative, which has come up “rather at the last minute” for energy, but will pay careful attention to the modalities. Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, Germany) called for short, medium and long term measures, particularly for creating new products and jobs in a “greener” economy. Wieslaw Kuc (UEN, Poland) particularly regretted the absence of budgetary procedural transparency, while Esko Seppänen (GUE/NGL, Finland) deplored the lack of take-up of certain funds, which would then go back into the coffers of member states. Reimer Böge (EPP-ED, Germany), the president of the budgets committee, admitted that some good results had been obtained (food facility, flexibility instrument, reworking of the external actions section, which needed, nevertheless, further revision etc). Böge welcomed the role of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in the economic recovery but warned that they should not create a “shadow budget” outside the EU budget.
Salvador Garriga Polledo (EPP-ED, Spain) pointed out that the changed situation required new solutions. He expressed surprise at the fact that in 2005-06 (a period of boom) they had forecast such limited financial perspectives. Nathalie Griesback (ALDE, France) said that the financial perspectives were too narrow and called for far-reaching reform. Jean-Claude Martinez (Front national, France) painted a picture of the Union approaching Christmas while “playing tea-parties” with a €116bn budget in a single county of the Union, Spain.
Ms Haug concluded that the EU's driving force was its cohesion policy and if it were efficiently implemented, it would be possible to minimise economic problems in 2009 but not, she sighed, with €116bn. Janusz Lewandowski (EPP-ED, Poland) referred to the financial perspectives and regretted that they had “negotiated millions but now needed billions”.
Dalia Grybauskaité, the commissioner for the budget, said that “we have managed to obtain a balance” on the 2009 budget priorities, which will focus on growth, job creation and funding the food facility to the benefit of developing countries. The commissioner said that cohesion policy would play a key role in economic recovery and that they needed to “speed up implementation and simplification of structural fund management”. The rescue plan includes elements that will have an impact on the 2009 budget, and the Commission hopes that the Council and EP will agree on the proposal to revise the financial perspectives. The budgets commissioner concluded that negotiations on the 2009 budget demonstrated that all parties had to make compromises and welcomed the “constructive” role played by the EP and the “crucial” role played by the Presidency in this year's procedure. (L.G./L.C./transl.rh)