Parliament's position on the 2012 draft budget

The EU budget is the Union's central overarching policy instrument for deciding on expenditure in various domains.

In 2012, Parliament and the Council disagreed over the total amount of the budget, with the Council demanding a smaller budget than in the previous year and Parliament calling for an increase.

The funding of the newly founded financial market supervisory bodies also proved contentious, as did the financial support for Parliament itself.

The Greens believe that the EU budget should be used to promote European and international solidarity, sustainable investment and European integration to create synergies which cannot be achieved at national level.

Every year we fight for a budget that promotes the ecological and social transformation of Europe's economy.

The budget serves as a powerful economic stimulant for many European regions, and this is especially important in the context of the current crisis.

It can also break new ground in other domains, triggering snowball effects. For all these reasons, the Greens want a well-funded EU budget.

Together with other major political groups in Parliament, the Greens managed to increase the funding for priorities under the EU 2020 strategy, which is designed to generate smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the EU.

This money is invested in projects that benefit European citizens. We also received support for our demands on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

A number of projects we supported, like Finance Watch, received funding.

However, we did not manage to prevent funds from being allocated to nuclear energy, including ITER.

And while the ALDE fortunately failed in its attempt to cut Structural Funds, our demands related to these funds proved unsuccessful.

The EPP and ALDE blocked our amendment proposing a cut in tobacco subsidies, and other amendments of ours on 'fair trade' and support for civil society in Tibet were also voted down by the EPP, ALDE, ECR and EFD.

Although our call to curb increases in Parliament's own budget was heeded, the EPP and ALDE insisted on having business flights for MEPs paid for by European taxpayers.