Zweden bereid om veto over EU-budget uit te spreken (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Swedish prime minister Goran Persson is ready to veto the EU budget proposal suggested by the Luxembourg EU presidency, which is up for discussion at a meeting of leaders on Friday (17 June).

Following the stranded EU constitution ratification process, we need a budget which can help develop Europe economically, Mr Persson told the press at the summit in Brussels.

He described the current budget proposal as being too expensive, much too old-fashioned concerning agriculture and regional support and without perspectives for the future.

"I don't see any possibility for Sweden to back this proposal", he said.

Asked by a journalist whether his stance meant that he would use a veto, the prime minister said "The answer is yes. This is a possibility that exists and could be used".

"It is a bad budget, which should not be adopted, in my opinion", he said adding,

"I would not be surprised if we start the discussion tomorrow by opening up a general discussion on agriculture policy".

The plan panders to some countries appearing to be in particular difficulties and offers them specific solutions, he explained.

Sweden is among the countries singled out in the budget draft to benefit specifically from a lower contribution to the EU via VAT contributions and to receive extra money for poorer regions.

But a classic EU pay-out for the trouble-making countries appears unlikely to get Stockholm on board.

"We need a budget for the future" said Mr Persson.

His hard-line stance is set to make the already tough negotiations more difficult. But Sweden is not alone is taking an uncompromising position.

The Netherlands is also playing hardball following calls from Dutch parliamentarians that prime minister Balkenende should come back with a 1.5bn euro cut in the country's contributions to EU coffers.

Along with the Swedes, the British are also in favour of opening the current farm subsidies system believing that the whole of the system needs to be overhauled.

However, this will meet fierce resistance from France, which has insisted that the 2002 deal on agriculture, which sets subsidies' spending until 2013, should not be touched.