ECR Rejects EU Power Grab On Budgets
Strasbourg, 15th June 2010
The European Conservatives and Reformists group will not sign a European Parliament resolution that calls for the EU to significantly increase its powers over national budgets, Timothy Kirkhope MEP, ECR deputy chairman, said today.
The resolution, which has been signed and driven by the leaders of the EPP, Socialist, ALDE and Green groups, is due for adoption on Wednesday. It calls for a 'common budgetary strategy' and 'broader use of binding measures...instead of continued use of the open method of coordination in the field of economic policy'.
Before the vote, Mr Kirkhope said:
"European countries do need to ensure that the principles of sound monetary policy, fiscal responsibility and honest government accounting are never flagrantly disregarded again. However, I think we can learn the lessons without resorting to another EU power grab.
"Unfortunately, many MEPs see the current crisis as an opportunity to increase the powers of the EU over national budgets. This is not acceptable.
"ECR MEPs have worked well with a number of other political groups, including ALDE and the EPP, in an effort to stem the tide of knee-jerk legislation affecting our financial services industry.
"This resolution has come from group leaders rather than the economic committee. It is a politically driven exercise rather than a dispassionate assessment of the measures that we need in order to restore confidence in the Eurozone."
ENDS
