EU Budget 2011 - Alain Lamassoure still hopes for an agreement between the Parliament and the Council, but expects concessions from Member States in future.

Interview: 130 billion euros at stake

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15259857/n003-0087-en.srt

The EP is preparing to vote the draft  budget 2011 for the European Union.

The problem is that the Member States  which finance the EU

say that it's much too much money  and the EP says it's the minimum.

Both are. We have  to reach an agreement.

is that the EU budget is financed  by national contributions,

and as the national budgets  are in crisis this year

the governments can't increase  their contributions.

They would be in favour of a zero budget  that stays at the 2010 level for 2011.

The EP is asking for a bit more money...  - 3.6 billion euros.

in the direction of the savings  asked for by the governments

if in return they agree  to open the debate...

Not to conclude it,  not to decide on figures,

but to open the debate  on funding for the longer term

Do you expect a signal  from EU countries?

From the Council  and the European Council.

So, political agreement to recognise  that the Lisbon Treaty, which now applies,

says that we need a common energy  policy in order to combat climate change,

we need a common foreign policy -  a diplomatic corps is being set up -

we need a European immigration policy  for it to work,

That takes a bit of money.  We haven't got it now,

And since the national budgets  can no longer finance the EU budget -

that could fund the EU budget  without calling on national taxpayers.

In the short term,  the 2011 budget must be voted.

How do you see things unfolding?  The EP must vote,

there will be conciliation  with the Member States, the Council.

If there's no agreement,  what will happen?

The Council will only accept  a very limited increase

in the 2011 budget  compared to 2010 - 0.2%.

Next week the EP will probably vote  a slightly bigger increase - 0.8%.

Then we'll go into negotiation.  The position of the EP

will be to say to the governments,  to the budget ministers:

"We recognise your concerns. We won't  ask you for more money next year,

but accept a political agreement  so that we study together

how we can fund the EU policies,  that you need and we all need, from 2012

Is the 2011 budget vote conditional  on a political sign for the future?

Absolutely.  - It's that or no 2011 budget?

I'm not going to take  an all-or-nothing attitude.

But it's clear that the Parliament, for  reasons that everyone can understand -

will not accept that the funding  for all the new policies

planned under the Lisbon Treaty,  which applies this year,

should be delayed for four years  until the next Parliament.

It's not possible.  Given the budgetary context,

if this year we can't find  one euro more, so be it.

But it's our responsibility  to European citizens to guarantee

that in the medium term these policies  that Europe needs will be funded.

See you in 2011, then.  Alain Lamassoure, thank you.