On the initiative of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, the European Parliament meeting in the Strasbourg plenary session solemnly called for an active inter-institutional cooperation in view of getting an ambitious and rapid agreement on the 2011 budget.  This agreement should be based on reciprocal commitments made by the Commission, the Council, and the Parliament, to prepare the groundwork together for the revision of the next round of the multi-annual financial framework and the provision of the post-2013 EU budget by new own resources.

"I am pleased that the resolution on the 2011 budget found a large majority as it again reinforces Parliament's position in negotiations over the next few weeks", said Guy VERHOFSTADT, president of the ALDE Group.  "The conditions on which this Parliament has insisted in agreeing to an increase of payments appropriations to 2.91% for the 2011 budget have been detailed, and repeated."

"This will take account of the supplementary budgetary demands which will be necessary for the 2012 and 2013 budgets to finance the new competences given to the EU by the Lisbon Treaty and the projects contained in the EU 2020 economic strategy.  For this to happen, the flexibility mechanisms foreseen in the 2006 inter-institutional agreement must be implemented including by the Council by a qualified majority."

"We nevertheless still ask a commitment from the Council to reopen the debate on own resources with the active participation of Parliament. The ball is now in the court of the European Council", concluded M. Verhofstadt."

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