With yesterday's 2011 Budget conciliation procedure suspended next year's financial necessities for EU policies, projects and programmes are clearly compromised.

"The responsibility for the current uncertainty must lie at the door of the leaders of some of the richest countries in the EU. The UK, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Austria and Germany after having accepted an agenda for talks focused on the future, then stated that they did not want to debate anything beyond current 2011 budget proposals."

"For the GUE/NGL this is an incomprehensible and unacceptable attitude. European governments cannot transfer new competences to the EU while simultaneously demanding budget reductions and blocking debate on new forms of revenue for the EU, namely a Financial Transaction Tax."

"The outcome of this is the reduction of the funds available, in particular for policies aimed at increasing employment - structural, cohesion, research and rural development funds. The GUE/NGL strongly criticizes the vast, incapacitating constraints that the Multiannual Financial Framework has placed on the annual EU budgets."

"The GUE/NGL denounces the selfishness of EU Governments that block any possibility of an open and democratic debate on the financial perspectives. This debate is crucial if we are to build a Europe of solidarity and cohesion, a Europe of growth with the creation of decent jobs at the centre of policies to tackle the crisis."

 
GUE/NGL PRESS CONTACT
Gianfranco Battistini + 32 475 646628
David Lundy + 32 485 505812
Gay Kavanagh + 32 473 842320