EP Sides with EC against Council on EU Budget

MEPs raise their hands to vote at the Tuesday plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. EPA/BGNES

MEPs have voted against the proposal of the last European Council to up the EU's budget with 2.79%, requesting the 6.8% raise initially proposed by the European Commission.

In a vote during plenary at the European Parliament's Strasbourg seat Tuesday, MEPs adopted a decision opposing the agreement of EU member-states' heads of government in their October meeting.

The MEPs also adopted proposals on the 2014-2020 budget, ahead of the key European Council November, writes the BBC.

The resolution also has European parliamentarians critical about what they see as "lack of progress" on the part of the Council in managing the financial crisis in Europe, in particular a slow implementation of the planned EU banking union.

In additions, MEPs renewed calls for the introduction during the next budgeting period of what has been termed "EU's own resources" to be gathered by taxes levied on the Union level - a move opposed by the leaders of many member states.

EP's lead negotiators in the 2014-20 budget talks are Bulgaria's Ivaylo Kalfin (PES) and Germany's Reimer Boege (EPP).

In 2012, the EU's budget amounts to EUR 129.1 B, up with 1.9% compared to 2011.

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