Adonis Diaries

The proposed budget for the EU for 2011 is 143 billion Euro, or 1.25 billion in addition to the one of 2010.  The money is to be allocated as follows: 45% for growth and employment, 31% for agriculture, 11% for rural development, environment and fishing; 6% for international action and aids; 6% for administrative expenses; and just 1% youth, security, and justice.

The socialist bloc in the European Parliament want the increase but the right-wing (majority in the Parliament) want a decrease in the budget.  The diplomatic services, agreed upon in the Lisbon treaty cost already 9.5 million Euro and additional 100 posts are programmed to be included in the services.  Three supervisory authorities are contemplated related to banks, insurance, and financial markets.  A center for crisis detection is in the pipeline. The financing of long-term projects such as the thermonuclear fusion reactor and the positioning satellite Galileo are uncertain.  The creation of a unified data-base for fighting against terrorism is no longer in the budget. The functioning of the European Commission is at the heart of the major critics of this budget: It costs 8.5 billion Euros and the expense of paying for the retreat of the personnel of over 61 of age has reached 1.3 billion Euros.