TODAYonline: Next EU budget must be agreed this year: Visegrad group

TODAYonline

Next EU budget must be agreed this year: Visegrad group

British Finance Minister Gordon Brown chairs the ECOFIN meeting in Manchester. The Visegrad group of eastern European Union member states warned that the bloc must pass its next long term budget this year. The Visegrad group of eastern European Union member states warned that the bloc must pass its next long term budget this year. "Late or no agreement would have negative consequences, both at European and national level, not only for budgetary planning and programming, but even more for the efficient budgetary support of community policies," they said Saturday. "The lack of predictable medium-term financial implies serious risks for the implementation of the convergene programmes in the new member states and for the execution of national and EU budgets," they said in a statement. Talks on the 2007-2013 budget between EU leaders in June collapsed in acrimony amid a dispute about reforming the bloc's budget consuming farm subsidy system and Britain's costly rebate. Britain, which holds the EU rotating presidency until the end of the year, has been holding bilateral talks in an effort to agree on the controversial spending project before its term ends. The Visegrad group comprises Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. They joined the EU in its big bang round of enlargement in May 2004. They said the failed project presented by the previous, Luxembourg, EU presidency was a good basis for further discussion. The Visegrad group of eastern European Union member states warned that the bloc must pass its next long term budget this year. "Late or no agreement would have negative consequences, both at European and national level, not only for budgetary planning and programming, but even more for the efficient budgetary support of community policies," they said Saturday. "The lack of predictable medium-term financial implies serious risks for the implementation of the convergene programmes in the new member states and for the execution of national and EU budgets," they said in a statement.