Parliament wants a timely remedy for the 2013 budget shortfalls and is ready to intensify negotiations on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF). These were the key conclusions of this morning's European Parliament Budgets Committee meeting.

Additional EU funding totalling €70 million to meet humanitarian needs in Syria, Mali, the Sahel region and Chad. was approved by the Budgets Committee on Wednesday.

The Commission proposal to settle only part of the EU's €16.2 billion debt rolled over from 2012 threatens the EU with insolvency later in 2013, said Budgets Committee chair Alain Lamassoure (EPP, FR) on Wednesday. The Commission, Parliament and Council agreed last year to settle all bills left over from 2012.

The European Semester was the focus of work for the committees on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Budgets and Employment on Tuesday, as MEPs met their national counterparts to discuss economic coordination work going on at EU level and how parliaments can better hold the various decision makers to account.

Six billion Euros to pay bills in 2012, priority for growth and jobs in next year's budget and a strategy for dealing with payment shortfalls in 2013. These are the main parts of the budget package formally adopted by the budgets committee on Monday evening. The final step is the plenary vote on Wednesday.

Parliament's political groups are discussing a "draft package" of proposals outlined in today's three-way talks with the Council and the Commission to ascertain whether there are grounds for a possible deal on the payment shortfalls for 2012 and the 2013 budget.

Almost €25 million in EU aid to help over 5,000 redundant workers in seven EU countries was halted on Thursday because there is no money left in the EU budget to fund it. The Budgets Committee had to postpone its vote to approve the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund aid because the Council has not agreed on Draft Amending Budget 6 for 2012. The aid would go to Spain, Finland, Denmark, Italy, Romania, Sweden and Austria.

Budgets Committee Chair Alain Lamassoure (EPP, FR) will give a press conference at 16.30 today, following the breakdown of negotiations on the EU budget yesterday evening.

EP negotiators will not attend the meeting with Council on the budget 2013 scheduled for tonight, because there is no agreement among the member states about a supplementary budget for the current year. These funds are needed for the European Union to respect its legal obligations, i.e. to pay for bills incurred for goods, works and services delivered.

Negotiations on next year's EU budget were suspended on Friday evening due to disagreement between Parliament and Council over possible solutions to counter the lack of remaining funds in the 2012 budget. Parliament and Council have until midnight on Tuesday to reach an agreement.