Philip Claeys (NI). – (NL) Mr President, Parliament has come out of its trial of strength with the Council having succeeded in salvaging EUR 4 billion, from a total of EUR 864 billion over the period 2007 to 2013. The Council has also – to all intents and purposes – allocated more powers to Parliament by making it possible for the latter to assess the budget’s structure in 2008-2009. We are still in what is termed the period of reflection about the EU’s future. A period of reflection can, and indeed should, also offer the opportunity of calling a few things into question.

For example, we seem to be moving towards a European tax in the form of a tax on energy and transport. On behalf of the general interest of the European taxpayers, we must oppose this new tax – any new tax for that matter – that, whichever way you look at it, will be added to the fiscal pressure, which is already too high in most Member States.