WIREDGOV

In its meeting of 4 December, the Budget Committee indicatively voted the amending budget 6/2012 as well as the EU budget for 2013, so Council can start defining its official position. After consulting the political groups, a majority is emerging which is ready to vote favourably during the vote next week under the following conditions:

The drafts for joint statements regarding payments, agreed by the three institutions in trialogue, must be strengthened by the signatures of the Presidents of the three institutions. Bills for the budget year 2012 cannot be financed through shifting within the already underfinanced budget 2013, but must be provided by the Member States additionally. The necessary guarantees for this must be delivered at the highest levels of the institutions; there is no margin left for interpretation.

As agreed among the political groups in Parliament, this is a precondition for a final positive vote in the European Parliament. I therefore invite President Christofias and President Barroso to sign the agreed declarations together with me ahead of the meeting and vote of the Budget committee on Monday.