Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-03-08-Speech-2-018-000"
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"en.20110308.6.2-018-000"2
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"Madam President, Commissioner Lewandowski, ladies and gentlemen, the issue currently under debate is the Parliament’s budget for 2012 and I would like to emphasise that from the perspective of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, the right balance must be struck between limited and justified increases, which are mainly the result of the new powers and responsibilities under the Treaty of Lisbon, and self-discipline and self-restraint in times when public funds are in short supply. To the outside world, the Parliamentary budget is still something like the European Parliament’s calling card and continues to have a symbolic significance: How do we deal with the austerity policy – the necessity for this policy – as it impacts directly on us?
Mr Fernandes uses words like consolidation, containment and self-restraint. However, we have heard few real proposals so far about where he intends to make the cuts and where resources are to be pared back. Of course, it is right to call for greater efficiency in the administration of Parliament and, from my own point of view, I can see some scope for improvement.
I would now like to address the issue of the House of European History: I am all for this idea in principle. However, I believe that the project must have clear business plans. If there is a desire to prioritise such a project – I am directing these words specifically to Mr Fernandes once again – if terms like self-discipline and consolidation are really meant seriously, then we must also be prepared to propose cuts in other areas.
If priorities exist as a result of political will, then, by definition, other areas must be given secondary priority in order to produce a consolidated budget. To talk about consolidation without making the relevant recommendations is to fudge the issue. The matter will only work if people are prepared to say where the cuts are to fall – particularly in the case of new priorities. This is what I meant when I referred to the European Parliament’s calling card: limited increases, as well as clear self-restraint."@en1
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