“We will not be blackmailed by the member state governments!” GUE/NGL President Gabi Zimmer said, condemning the European Council's approach to the EU amending budgets for 2013 and 2014 as well as the EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020.

“The EU member states obviously don't want to fulfill their payment obligations. First the governments in the Council tried carry over, delay and denial tactics, and now they want to shift the responsibility for these delays on to the European Parliament.”

“The European Parliament can only discuss and adopt supplementary budgets that have been previously submitted by the Council,” she continued. “The GUE/NGL will only agree to a supplementary budget to compensate for the missing EUR 2.7 billion from the Customs Union if the EU member states guarantee the promised additional payment of EUR 3.9 billion which is supposed to reduce the 2013 deficit.”

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:

Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
David Lundy +32 470 85 05 09