Parlement schort onderhandelingen over EU-begroting 2013 op (en)

Parliament has decided to suspend negotiations on the 2013 budget despite lengthy talks with the Council presidency. The difficult decision was taken because of the lack of any agreement between member states on the crucial 2012 supplementary EU budget. This is needed to pay bills and reimburse member states for payments already made on approved projects, such as the popular Erasmus programme.

EP president Martin Schulz i said Parliament took the drastic step because there is no agreement for the time being between the Parliament and some member states about the financing of very important projects, such as the Erasmus programme . "This is not a catastrophe," he added. "It is still possible to get an agreement before the end of the year."

French Christian-Democrat MEPAlain Lamassoure i, head EP negotiator and chair of the budget committee, said: "Since October, there is no more funding for EU programs as important as Erasmus, humanitarian aid, the Social Fund, the cohesion funds, rural development, and research. Unfortunately, although many member states agree, there are some that refuse this. So, a number of states that need EU aid [such as] Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal or Ireland, will run short of funding at the end of 2012. We wish to restart negotiating on a more satisfactory basis to reach an overall agreement before the end of December."