EU Budget Commitee Chair f.Minister Lamassoure to EuroFora: Heads of State debate on EU Funds Future

Top Political Debates, at Heads of State/Government's level, should start now on Strategic choices involving Funds in EU's Future, and this will become permanent until discussions open on the MultiAnnual EU Financial Perspectives on New Needs seen for the 1st time at EU's 2011 Budget, after Lisbon Treaty's entry into force extended EU's Activities, stressed EU Parliament Budget Committee's President, former EU Minister, Alain Lamassoure, in reply to "EuroFora"'s questions, together with experienced German ChristianDemocrat MEP Reimer Böge, competent for relations between Annual Budgets and Financial Perspectives, confirming "EuroFora"'s earlier publication on various moves to open Debates on EU's Future.

For the 1st time in History, MEPs don't ask more Money for next year (2011) from EU Governments, but, instead, to open Democratic Debates, at Top Political Level, on Europe's Future, as it can be seen through the concrete viewpoint of EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives, Lamassoure anounced and Boege developed further.

Current National Austerity Budgets, imposing sometimes impopular restrictions in order to overcome Public Debts, (as, f.ex., 500.000 civil servants' jobs suppressed in the UK, retirement age extended 2 years more in France, draconian measures in Greece and elsewhere, etc) don't allow EU to ask for more than a simply stable 2011 Budget, without any augmentation, and even with a small decrease due to the inflation.

But, on the contrary, there is a real and new need to start debatting, from now, on what will be done in the forthcoming years, throughout all the foreseable Future, without limiting things only to 2011, but going much further than that, including the post - 2013 and post - 2014 period. Because New Challenges (f.ex. the Global Economic Crisis, Global Warming, etc), and New EU Activities added by the recent entry into force of Lisbon Treaty (f.ex. Space, Defence/Security, External Service, etc), as well as New vital Infrastructures, (f.ex. innovative Energy Networks, such as Liquefied Gas Sea/River transport, Solar mega-projects, etc), obviously require more and/or new Financial resources during the forthcoming Years.
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Various interesting and "hot" issues, sometimes of outstanding Political importance, may emerge out of such Debates on EU Funds' Future : - F.ex., when new British Prime Minister Cameron takes the hard decision to cut 500.000 jobs at the Public Sector on 2010 in order to make necessary Economies sparing rarefied money from needless expenses, how could he justify to the Public Opinion, at the same time, calls for the EU to obey to USA President Obama's attempts to impose the notoriously unpopular and controversial Turkish EU bid, which would cost a fortune, an uprecedented Huge Amount of EU Taxpayer's Money wasted only for Ankara's desiderata, as some EU sources had already speculated, shortly after  2012 ?

Thus, "EuroFora" asked Lamassoure and Boege, the two Top Franco-German MEPs representing EU Parliament's Budget Committee, while also participating in the SURE Committee on Financial Perspectives,  2 "related, but Independent Questions" :

(A) - First, to make it crystal-clear "if" they really "wish for a Debate to reach up to the European Council, i.e. at the level of Heads of State/Government, in order to have an overview, "vue d'ensemble" (in French) or "uberschict" (in German), over all kinds of issues, including Political".

(B) - Moreover, "EuroFora" also asked them what Time Horizon had their move : - "Up to which (Time) limit do you wish to extend the EU Financial Perspectives' review : 1, 2, 3 Years, or more, perhaps to fully open (now) all this issue" of the next Financial Perspectives' MultiAnnial Period, (f.ex. +2014 - 2023) ?

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- "The Time has come for a Political Debate at the European Council level", i.e. among EU Heads of State/Government, stressed the President of EU Parliament's Budget Committee, Alain Lamassoure, in reply to "EuroFora"'s 1st question :

- Even if It's for EU Council to choose how and at which level it will decide, nevertheless, it's a fact that, "for the 1st time, in EU Parliament, the Negotiations for the Vote and for the Conciliation (with EU Council) on EU Budget 2011, were Politically driven by the Presidents of MEPs' Groups, which already convened 4 times in our presence, and will convene anew, Wednesday Evening, together with EU Commission's President Jose Barroso and Budget's Commissioner Levandowski, and it's also EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek, who will chair MEPs' Delegation at the process of Conciliation with EU Council Next Week", Lamassoure observed in reply.

- "I.e., in order to adopt this (new) Stategy, EU Parliament had to advance further and Higher than its Budget's Committee alone", he noted. Because, "if we wanted to merely stay at the traditional annual Budgetary process, then, we would have used only the Budget's Committee, as usual. But, "since we want to go Further than that, then, the Political Guidance is that of EU Parliament's Highest Authorities".

- "Now, a similar Logic goes also for our interlocutors (i.e. EU Council, representing EU Member States' Governments) : - "If the (EU) Council's Budgets Ministers thinks that it might have a Mandate to accept the Political Agreement that we (MEPs) propose, then, naturally, I'd be very Glad, because that could simplify things. But I would be very much Surprised...", he warned.

- "Therefore, we are convinced, including the Presidents of MEPs' Groups, that this issue should go up to the European Council", i.e. up to EU Heads of State/Government.  - "And the Agenda fits well" to that, given Next Week's Brussels EU Summit of 28-29 October, i.e. precisely at the beginning of the 3 Weeks-long MEPs - Governments "Reconciliation" proces on 2011 EU's Budget.
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- "Moreover, if we look at the (Historic) Precedents, each time that a Serious Budgetary  Problem", and/or "a problem of (Financial) Resources emerged, it was the European Council (i.e. Heads of States/Governments) which took over".

- F.ex., already, "the 1st grave Crisis faced by the "small" EU Community (initially composed only out) of 6 (Member Countries), the (famous) "Empty Chair" Crisis, provoked by (former French President) General De Gaulle, was, precisely, about (EU's) own (Financial) Resources : We shouldn't forget that", the experienced Lamassoure reminded.

- And, "the 1st time that European Council had real Discussions on (EU's) own Resources,  because there weren't enough resources to fund EU's Budget, it was during the Fontaineblau EU Council, back in 1984, when (former UK Prime Minister) Mrs Thatcher, had pronounced her famous Formula :  - "I want my Money back !", and she had obtained the Brittish Rebate", he also recalled.

- But, since then, "for 25 Years, there was no more Political Debate at the European Council on how to fund EU Budget", Lamassoure regretted, (while also ommitting to mention the famous June 2005 Chirac - Blair clash over EU's Financial Perspectives, when German MEP Boege was, precisely, EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Budgets, and sharply Critical vis a vis Blair's EU Chairmanship, that he had sharply denounced speaking then to "EuroFora"s co-founder).

- "And I'm convinced that, after the new EU Lisbon Treaty (which entered into force after December 2009), after all that which happened" meanwhile, "after having adopted the Europa 2020" Economic Strategy, "etc., and given also the current Deadlock in which we are in order to fund EU's Budget", in consequence, the "Time has come for the European Council (i.e. Heads of State/Government) to take over this issue", EU Parliament's Budget Committee's President concluded. "It's better that it examines this issue at a normal moment now, instead of" being obliged, later-on, to do so in a Future Emergency, "during a Hot Crisis atmosphere", Lamassoure warned.

- "However, this is not for us, MEPs, and EU Parliament to decide : It depends from EU Council to inform the European Council i.e. Heads of State/Government, if it feels the need", he added carefully.

- "But, in fact, the (current) Agenda fits well" for this kind of moves, "and it's good if we (EU) could seize the opportunity offered by the EU Agenda", the competent Top MEP pointed out, obviously indicating that  this could and should be done by EU Heads of State/Government from Next Week's 28-29 Brussels' EU Summit. --------------------------                                                                                                                                                                 

 

Reimer  Boege, who is EU Budgets' Committee's Rapporteur on Financial and also Member of SURE Committee competent to decide on EU's next 2014-2023 Financial Perspectives' period, replying to "EuroFora"s second question (See supra), stressed from the outset that EU Parliament wants a "Permanent Review" of EU's Financial Perspectives :

 - Even if "the proposals presented today, (Tuesday, October 19),  by EU Commission, do not include a Review or Revision within EU's Financial Perspectives up to the end 2013", nevertheless, "on the other hand", f.ex. "the case of ITER (EU's Pioneer Multi-Annual RST Research on Nuclear Fusion's Energy), shows clearly that, in fact, we (EU, already) are at a Permanent situation of Revision","and this already took place in the framework of Past Years'  EU Budget",  f.ex., on 2008, 2009,  "to remind you the 5 Billion (Economic) Recovery Plan, and on the Food facility, on the special case of GALILEO (Satellite Navigation System), etc.  which are projects of clear European Added Value".

 -  Now, "without a Revision (of the current EU's Financial Perspectives), and without using all Budgetary tools, we cannot resolve the case of ITER", he observed.

- "And there will be also Next Year's (2011) cases as well : F.ex. "there will be more Transparency, how to fund the (EU's recently created Diplomatic) External Service, not just by an Amending Letter or Budget, but also with a MultiAnnual approach, and Other Questions will come on the table as well, of course, to prepare New Projects, f.ex. when EU Commissioner Oettinger will come, I think on February (2011) on Energy Policy, and Energy Networks, f.ex., there will be also  a discussion on how to fund it as well" :

- "Shall we (EU) Wait until 2014, (i.e.... 3 Years Later !!!), or is there, let's say, a Starting Period, which has to be Implemented already in this (2007-2013) Financial Perspective ?", Boege wondered.

- Even if "we had not foreseen" that, simply "because Lisbon Treaty (which opens the way for such New Projects) was not foreseen within the Existing Financial Framework (2007-2013)", explained the experienced German MEP.

=>  - "So", at any case, it's inevitable that "there will be a Permanent Revision Debate, within the MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives,  whatever the outcome of the Institutions' (current) discussions might be", Reimer Boege stressed.

- "But, now, EU Parliament has a Stronger Position as far as the Financial Perspectives and the Annual Budget is concerned, and we shall use this debate, specially, as our Chairman (Lamassoure) just described, as far as the Engagement of the Groups' Presidents, and of EU Parliament's President is concerned :  

- "We (MEPs) want to strengthen a Real Political Debate with the EU Council"'s Heads of State/Government, he confirmed.

- Even if, "in the Past, the Council has always tried to avoid a Political Debate", nevertheless, "I think that, what we (EU Parliament) develop now as a New Strategy will help us to force the (EU) Council to come to a Real Political Debate about the Challenges" in EU's Future, as they can be already seen through the "EU Budget", (comp. supra).

+ Speaking later to "EuroFora" after the proposed New Mechanism inserted in EU's 2011 Budget (See supra) was largely adopted by EU Parliament's Plenary on Wednesday, Boege stressed that MEPs "want a real Political Debate  with EU Council on the forthcoming Review of EU's MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives", and "the (Future) Challenges  of EU Budget".

Co-Decision's process moves Faster under the new EU Lisbon Treaty : EU Parliament votes the Budget only 1 time, instead of twice in the Past, and MEPs and Governments must agree, reaching a Compromise "in 3 Weeks", otherwise "it all starts from scrap", Lamassoure warned.

Meanwhile, in order to obtain its Political Aim to open a forwards looking Poliical Debate on EU's Future Perspectives, EU Parliament imagined a new Technical device, (consisting of adding several "New Lines" for more Funds in the 2011 Draft Budget, often citting forthcoming Years' foreseeable Needs and/or resources, but without entering any Numbers, so that EU Council's Governments would be obliged to ask MEPs to drop these new budgetary lines, thereby engaging in Discussions also on EU's Future activities...
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New EU Activities, f.ex. on Space, Defense/Security, EU's External Service, Climate and Energy policies, as well as Scientific/Technologic Research, etc., are expected soon, particularly after Lisbon Treaty's delayed entry into force (12/2009).

+ All these, and other new Challenges, should convince the EU to start debatting the creation of some New Funds and/or EU's own Resources, Top MEPs have recently stressed, (including the President of the largest Group of MEPs : That of ChristianDemocrats. Joseph Daul, (See earlier relevant NewsReports)        

        
- New EU Resources, including, f.ex. teje post-2012 Tax on CO2 Emmissions Trading,  could grow up to 30 - 50 Billions € per Year, i.e. a big Gift decided at EU level, so that there is no reason for it to be eventually totally absorbed by EU Member States, instead of funding EU Budgets, Lamassoure pointed out.