Hague: Unprecedented agreement to get a grip on EU budget

Friday, 29 October 2010 12:00 AM

William Hague comments to the Today programme on David Cameron's negotiations with European leaders over the EU budget:

"The prime minister has achieved three important things at the European Council last night.

"First, he secured agreement from ten other countries that the six per cent rise in the EU budget for 2011 that the European Commission wanted and the European Parliament approved will be blocked. Those governments will not agree to anything more than a 2.9% increase.

"Second, he put beyond doubt that there is a full British opt-out from any sanctions on EU member states arising from any treaty change to reinforce the eurozone.

"He has [also] secured unprecedented agreement at the dinner last night that the European budgets must reflect the efforts of member states to bring deficits and debt onto a more sustainable path.

"We do not have the power now to veto such a budget, so we have to form alliances.

"That for us is the beginning of a much longer road over the next 18 months to get some real sense into how the European budget is set for the much longer term. Getting the EU to get a grip on its own finances is our top priority."

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