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MEP Koelmel: A separate budget for the Euro countries will provoke divisions

Date

27 Apr 2016

Sections

Euro & Finance

Brussels, 26 April 2016 - Bernd Koelmel, spokesman of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the Budget Committee and MEP within the ALFA Delegation issued a statement today, in which he warned against the recent idea of a separate budget for the Euro-countries, as was recently proposed by the Christian Democrats (EPP) and the Socialists (S & D) in the European Parliament.

 During a joint meeting of the Committees on Budgets (BUDG) and Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), he commented that "A separate budget for the Eurozone Countries will do nothing but provoke divisions between EU Member States. The Euro has quite obviously been a problematic currency, which makes the idea of a separate budget not acceptable. Instead of focusing on and discussing the design flaws, this report chooses to keep propping it up."

Earlier, the representatives appointed by the two Committees deputies - Germany's Reimer Böge (CDU) and French Socialist Pervenche Berès - presented initial ideas in a report entitled "Financial capacity for the euro zone". In addition to the establishment of a separate budget for the Euro Countries, they suggested the creation of a European Unemployment Agency, and the use of a separate EU tax to fund it.

Koelmel illustrated one example, which could lead to resentment and division: "Should an employee in Germany, who has to work until 67 years of age before being eligible for retirement, really be required to pay for employees in other Euro countries who are allowed to retire at age 60? That isn't sustainable."

Bernd Koelmel asserts that instead, the EU should recollect the principle of subsidiarity, so as not to create deeper divides. "A uniform budget for the Euro Countries is poison."

ENDS 

Contact: ECR Press Office, Michael Strauss on + 49 1714927919

The ECR was created to take the EU in a new direction, according to the principles of our founding Prague Declaration.

For more information on the ECR, watch our promotional video at http://youtu.be/F5syQt1JuQI or visit our website: www.ecrgroup.eu

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