Slovenian MEPs backed the adoption of the EU budget for 2005 on Thursday, but stressed that Slovenia would have to pay great attention to drawing EU funds so as not to become a net contributor to the European budget as early as next year.
"The key question is our capability to draw EU funds," said Mihael Brejc of the European People's Party. He said Slovenia must, among other things, have well-prepared programmes in order to draw EU funds.
Brejc said that the EU budget passed was yet another signal to the Slovenian government to maximise its potential and focus on concrete EU issues.
Jelko Kacin (LDS), member of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, expressed concern over whether the new cabinet will know how to draw funds approved for Slovenia.
"Only if Slovenia knows how to draw these funds will it remain a net recipient," Kacin said, particularly highlighting agriculture as a problematic area.
Borut Pahor, who is a member of the European Socialists, said that Slovenia would have to thoroughly consider its capability to draw European funds. He said this challenge was in the hands of the Slovenian authorities.
The chairs of the EU committees for budgets and budgetary control on Wednesday tasked Pahor and Ingeburg Graessle (EPP) with drafting a report on the financial regulations for the implementation of the budget.
A member of the parliamentary budgetary control committee, Pahor said that the first draft would be ready in January, so that the report could be on the European Parliament's agenda in the spring.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|