Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-10-19-Speech-2-315"
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"en.20101019.20.2-315"2
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"As my fellow Members have already mentioned, the European Union’s 2011 budget is being approved using a new procedure on which the European Parliament and Council must find a common consensus. The European Parliament fully recognises this particular point.
During the discussions in the Committee on Budgets, we adopted a very responsible attitude and we did not do what is the most normal thing for every single member of every parliament to do, which is to ask for more resources, as we then come into conflict with the representatives of the executive.
On the contrary, we recognised that in the climate of an economic recession where national budgets are under the constant pressure of restrictions, the European Union’s budget must set an example on this. The appeal from Member States, which reflects that from European citizens, is for every opportunity to be found for prudence and greater efficiency when spending public resources.
We found every opportunity to increase efficiency. The outcome of this is what we proposed. For the first time ever, the European Parliament is being so responsible right from the start of the budget debate. At the same time, I expect that the Council will also assess its positions once again.
We must not forget that there are limits to increased efficiency. A reduction in resources means a reduction in political ambitions. What kind of signal is the Council giving by proposing a drastic reduction in resources in paragraph 1a? These are the resources specifically intended for innovation and smart growth, which also provides the basis for all the national programmes for exiting the recession and for the Europe 2020 strategy.
How can these objectives be achieved with the budget being reduced? This means in practical terms that we are rejecting a number of Europe’s priorities. When are we honest with European citizens? When the Council officially announces new policies, grants European institutions new functions or when it is not agreed for resources to be reduced?
During recent years, the European budget has been an increasingly smaller part of the EU’s economy. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of functions invested in the European Union. Consequently, this raises the issue that the budget is a basic instrument for achieving certain political objectives. It is not an end in itself. The European budget provides added value to taxpayers. It achieves much more than can be achieved with the same resources if they are spent by 27 Member States.
A direct connection cannot be made between European and national budgets. The current reduction in expenditure in national budgets is a consequence of their increase last year. This did not happen with the European budget, which is much more stable."@en1
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