The EU budget: taking a second look

Now that negotiations on the European financial framework for 2014-2020 have entered the final phase, it is important to get the main issues relating to the amount, the aims and the scope of the EU budget into proper perspective. That is the purpose of this Viewpoint co-signed by Yves Bertoncini and António Vitorino and based on three complementary statements.

• The amount of the EU budget is going to remain low even after 2013, but its concrete impact is still going to be far from negligible
• Even if the current debate has remained fuzzy regarding the aims of the EU budget, its outcome must issue a few clear political signals
• The compromise thrashed out at the European Council is not going to
• put an end to the debate on the need to beef up European spending