Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-12-14-Speech-2-471"
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"en.20101214.36.2-471"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, we are now on the home straight for the adoption of the 2011 budget. This has not been a walk in the park. There have been a few pitfalls, but I hope that we are finally reaching our objective in this budgetary procedure and that, as the rapporteur said to you a moment ago, we will be able to approve a budget before the end of this year.
So here is the proof that we can reach agreements, and also the proof that this new Lisbon procedure can be a success. Despite the pitfalls and the difficulties that we faced, we succeeded in reaching an agreement and we have this budget, which is much more than just a budget: it will also provide concrete results for the citizens with regard to mobility, youth, the Structural Funds that will be able to be released for those European regions that really need them, the External Action Service and the financial agencies.
Yes, thanks to this budget, we will be able to implement policies in the service of European citizens. That is what must drive us on, and that is what has ensured that everyone has made the compromises necessary to reach an agreement.
I think that that is really what drove us all on today, and here we have the proof that when all the budgetary areas said that they really wanted to reach an agreement, they were telling the truth. However, we perhaps also need to say that we have carried out a new exercise and we have inaugurated a new procedure, and I think – as the rapporteur said just now – that everyone has had to make concessions, everyone has had to make some compromises.
On the one hand, the European Parliament has itself considerably amended the Council’s draft on commitment appropriations. It has managed to get several projects and preparatory actions included, it has initiated debates and questioned the funding for a large number of policies, and it has truly played its role as a budgetary authority in full. It has also accepted the restrictions that the Council imposed quite strictly, particularly with regard to payment appropriations.
However, there is also the joint statement to which the rapporteur referred, and which the Council clearly endorses, given that it is a joint statement. You will also be aware that we have received a letter from the Prime Minister of Belgium, the current President of the Council, addressed to the President of the European Parliament, telling us that the representatives of the next four six-month Presidencies have confirmed that they wish to undertake the procedure for developing future financial perspectives in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty. In a sense, then, this is the first implementation of the joint statement that we have adopted together regarding the development of future financial perspectives.
On the other hand, the European Parliament has also put forward a list of requirements concerning its own ambitions in the procedures relating to own resources, and you yourselves have also had the opportunity to become familiar with the European Commission’s statement, which demonstrated that, through exercising its power of initiative, it will, in fact, move forward on this agenda and, in this way, it will implement the new budgetary procedure, as well as the coming financial perspectives.
Concerning the 2011 budget itself, it is true that this is a strict budget, with an increase in payment appropriations of 2.9%. In spite of that, however, we have been able to make sure that the European External Action Service can see the light of day. We have also managed to finance the three new financial surveillance agencies as part of this tight funding increase of 2.91%. By mobilising the flexibility instruments, we have also been able to take into account the political priorities that Parliament wanted to implement, providing EUR 105 million for new preparatory actions, youth projects and mobility projects. As you have seen, Mrs Trüpel, when we talk about Parliament’s priorities, we use exactly the same words that you have been repeating time and again, both in the trialogues and in your last speech.
Conducting this new procedure in the context of the Lisbon provisions was a new experience for all of us and, as I humbly admit, for me above all. It is true, however, that this has allowed us to have a number of meetings and discussions – sometimes heated ones – but once again, we can say today that we have reached an agreement.
I would say that I still have a sense that too little has been done, and I have a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, unfortunately, regarding the possibility of moving flexibility from unanimity to qualified majority. I think that our efforts really brought us close to an agreement, and my fear is that this possibility will not arise. I consider it a shame that we did not seize this opportunity, either on the issue of flexibility itself or on the financing of ITER.
This may not be a simple procedure, therefore, but if there is goodwill, and the will to succeed on both sides, we will get there. At this point, I would also like to thank all those who have genuinely helped to make sure that tomorrow, hopefully, we can confirm this agreement: President Buzek himself, who, I would say, really rolled up his sleeves during this budgetary procedure, but also Mr Lamassoure, the rapporteurs, Mrs Jędrzejewska and Mrs Trüpel, and obviously Commissioner Lewandowski, who, in spite of the disagreements, came back each time with new proposals, making sure that this procedure finally reached a conclusion."@en1
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