EU budget summit ‘crucial’ for Cyprus

PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos said yesterday that Cyprus would work for improvements in the EU budget that would be for the benefit of the Cypriot people.

Referring to the new proposal by the British EU Presidency regarding the EU budget, he said it provided for a reduction of the allowances for some states, including Cyprus, and for an increase for other countries.

“It is a very important Council. Some say that it is a very crucial one. There are many objections regarding the proposal submitted yesterday by the British Presidency”, he said.
The President added that Cyprus would make efforts to improve its own position, “so that it is not in the unpleasant position to be alone and isolated by not accepting the EU budget”.

“We will try to achieve an increase,” he said, adding that it is difficult to make alliances with other countries, since each state is interested in ensuring the best possible deal, something that would mean reductions for other states.

”Each country is alone. Finance Minister Michalis Sarris will accompany me and we will try to achieve the best possible deal for Cyprus”, he said.

Papadopoulos said that the efforts to achieve a consensus were obvious, since, if the budget is not adopted, “from 2007 at least the new member states will not have the ability to absorb money from various EU funds”.

“This means very serious bargains. Every country wishes to satisfy its own demands and in order to achieve this, other states will be faced with reductions”, he added.
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The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.