I regret the European Parliament’s decision. The compromise on the financial framework which the European Council reached in February is a good one.
I trust that the Parliament will now enter into a constructive dialogue with the EU member states. The original agreement reached by the heads of state and government sent an important message to the effect that consolidating the EU budget and gearing it towards growth and innovation is now the order of the day. We need to stick to that course.
To that end, we aim for early agreement with the European Parliament. Only in this way will we be able to create a reliable basis for planning and to demonstrate that Europe is capable of action even when the going gets rough. The Council has already gone the extra mile to accommodate the Parliament on the issue of flexibility. On this basis, agreement should be possible. Germany will do everything it can to support the Irish Council Presidency in its capacity as the member states’ negotiator.