Today's Date:

EU budget

Interview given by M. Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to "RFI"

Paris, November 22, 2005

At all costs, a European crisis must be avoided. The British presidency must accept a compromise to find the budgetary resources for the European Union. Everyone is very willing to pay their share, except the United Kingdom.

We all told them that they had to move. In any case, the British Presidency must avoid misunderstanding her position as the presidency, whose role, function, duty is to find an agreement. This is how Europe has functioned for 50 years. The United Kingdom can have her personal opinion on the question.

We have to move forward. We can't afford a crisis in the European Union today, after the French and Dutch referenda. The United Kingdom would bear a very grave responsibility if she created a crisis today. We need to come to an agreement in order to pay for the arrival of the new member States. They are requesting this, they are waiting for it. There are burgeoning democracies in those countries. We haven't got the right to disappoint them. We have given them our word, so it must be honoured./.