The Lisbon Treaty puts the European Parliament on equal footing with the Council where budgetary codecision is concerned and the members of parliament intend to use this new power to put into action their fundamental choices. The 2011 budget must mark the first step in this new approach to the EU budgetary process. For this reason ALDE wishes to establish a time table for creating a new system of own resources, in the perspective of the revision of the financial framework so that we can once and for all finish with the disastrous concept for the Union of "net contributors".

"The economic situation gives a particular responsibility to the European Union, and the budget is our principal instrument" declares Guy VERHOFSTADT, ALDE president. "There will be no 2011 budget if we cannot find an agreement with the Council on the following three points. First of all, we want a declaration that will give the EU a new own resource, the details of which to be discussed at a later date. We also ask for the inclusion in future of a European Financial Stability Mechanism as long as the ongoing bond crisis justifies. Lastly, we demand that the Council stops its policy of piecemeal adjustments to the budget for each new expenditure item it introduces, but rather foresees corresponding revenue to avoid budgetary complications such as those affecting the ITER project or Galileo", continued M. Verhofstadt.

"The Liberals and Democrats understand the necessity for a rigorous management of public funds and support any initiatives aiming to contain the administrative expenses of the Parliament, and invite the other institutions to do the same", concluded Anne JENSEN (Venstre, Denmark), ALDE coordinator for the Parliamentary Committee on Budgets (COBU).

Note to the editors:

Following today's vote on the budgetary project of COBU, the following steps are:
- October 11th: Trilogue Commission/Council/Parliament
- October 18 to 22nd: First and only Parliament reading at the Strasbourg Plenary
- October 26th: Reconciliation Committee Meeting, they will have 21 days to come to a final agreement on the 2011 budget

For more information, please contact:
Neil Corlett: + 32-2-284 20 77 or + 32-478-78 22 84
e-mail: neil.corlett@europarl.europa.eu
Yannick Laude: +32-2-284 31 69 or + 32-495-22 78 37