Proposed 5% budget increase

[angelman]

BBC News - European Commission proposes EU budget rise of 5%

What are the Eurocrats on? As the article states, member states are reigning in spending as much as possible to try and balance the books, while the EU wants to increase their budget (presumably to off-set inflation). Wouldn't it be better that EU sorts it's own house out and makes cuts of at least 5% and be somewhat more responsible (and accountable) rather than use member states as a cash-cow?

And then we get the old chestnut of trying to get rid of the rebate that we get. The only time I liked Blair, was when the French demanded our rebate end. Blair said that he would discuss it if we got rid of CAP (or was it just reorganising it so that the French didn't benefit so much?).

It's good to see the government saying that it is "unrealistic", although I fully expect them to acquiesce to EU demands.

Mr Barroso warned: "There is no room for thinking about getting your fair share of your money back. The time has come to reform the system of rebates. It is of the utmost complexity."

Ah at least the communist ideals of the EU are spoken by the boss. But it does beg the question as why Greece are being given loans rather than just being given the money. If it is one big happy family, then if the austerity measures are in place, surely the money should be given by the EU without condition (not that I disagree with asking for interest, just being devil's advocate).

In addition to the budget, the commission is looking to change the way in which the EU gets its money - including EU-wide VAT and a tax on financial transactions.

And so it begins in earnest. The Euro and EU need to have a unified tax and fiscal policy to really work. Get that all agreed in Brussels, along with the law making, and then national parliaments might as well shut up shop, and we can become some nightmarish fully integrated European Union. That might be melodramatic but still, it will take away a bit more from national parliaments.

In the commission's view, for too long the budget has been plagued by arguments over the different national contributions and it is time for the EU to boost its own sources of revenue.

Hopefully they will make it so expensive for us in Britain, that we will pull out. I think that they are seriously misreading the situation and they can't just tap up their members ad nauseum especially when they are so unaccountable when it comes to budget matters. For example the Germans are, as far as I am aware, getting increasingly disenchanted about paying huge amounts to bolster other parts of Europe, when they would far rather have the money for themselves.

[Jacques Roman]

It's seems quite natural that the EU budget should increase while the budget of the member states should decrease since the Union has taken over many responsibilities from its member states: if I remember correctly, somebody here complained that 80 % of the national legislation of member states now consists in EU directives and other regulations.

Furthermore, the argument that the EU does this while the member states want that will not fool anybody: the EU is a confederation of sovereign states and as such does precisely what its member states want it to do.

The point made (ad nauseam) that Germany is getting tired of paying for others is disproven by the facts. And rightly so: Germany has been the main beneficiary, economically and politically, of the European project: it may be tired of paying, but being tired of belonging in the EU is quite another matter. JR

[Marilyn]

Incredible .. the European Quarter in Brussels continues its wanton wrecking of the rest of Europe .. its gross expansionism, unabated and beyond shame or accountability.
I see a vision of the Berlaymont getting levelled by a mob one day, followed by the rest of that Tower of Babel .. sort of like the Bastille but bigger .. :-) .. and you Jacques will be running for your life on that day ..

It's seems quite natural that the EU budget should increase while the budget of the member states should decrease since the Union has taken over many responsibilities from its member states: if I remember correctly, somebody here complained that 80 % of the national legislation of member states now consists in EU directives and other regulations.

Furthermore, the argument that the EU does this while the member states want that will not fool anybody: the EU is a confederation of sovereign states and as such does precisely what its member states want it to do.

The point made (ad nauseam) that Germany is getting tired of paying for others is disproven by the facts. And rightly so: Germany has been the main beneficiary, economically and politically, of the European project: it may be tired of paying, but being tired of belonging in the EU is quite another matter. JR

[Jacques Roman]

I have already run, Marlyn, I am very far from Berlaymont – but not for the reason you suspect. JR