Text tabled : A7-0369/2010

  Sophie Auconie (PPE), in writing. – (FR) The preparation of the annual 2011 budget has again given rise to real political negotiation between MEPs and the governments of the Member States. In the current context of budgetary cuts, the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the Member States, wanted to make the Union take a part in the austerity measures that European countries are imposing on themselves. Despite the fact that the European Parliament, as well as the Commission, wanted, on the contrary, the crisis to be tackled by voluntary policies, it sided with the position of the Council, in a clear display of solidarity with the Member States. In exchange for this concession, Parliament wanted a debate to take place on the Union’s resources, and in particular on the issue of it being able to have funds of its own, independent of contributions from the Member States. The Council was initially intransigent but ended up by ceding to our legitimate demands. That is the reason why other MEPs and I have been able to give our agreement to this budget, the ambition of which is limited to the short term, but yet one which allows future prospects for Union policies to be opened up.