The Budget of the Union in Question

On 12 September 2007, the European Commission launched a broad consultation on the future of the European Union’s finances, inviting all parties concerned at the local, regional, national and European levels to take part in the debate on the Union’s budget, with a view to a reform project that should take shape in 2008-2009.
Jean-François Drevet therefore devotes his December column to the European budget, reminding us of the current rules and the practices in force in a context that is still, in his view, overly characterized by national preoccupations. He presents a number of possible developmental paths, stressing the point that it is important to see this question in terms of added value from joint action, not of a “fair return” on contributions.