Poland likely to get almost all that it wanted in EU budget for 2007-13

"I get the impression that an informal agreement has been made between Germany and other countries to increase the budget above 1% of the EU's income," said Rosati, who is the vice-chairman of the Temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013 in the European Parliament. This would mean that Germany, which until now has been the fiercest opponent of raising the EU budget, could be more likely to consent to the European Commission proposal to increase EU spending to 1.14% of GDP, a level which Poland considers a minimum. Rosati believes that the recently approved changes in the SGP, governing the assessment of fiscal policies in the EU, which allow Germany to exclude the costs of reunification from its budget deficit, have been pivotal in this change of heart regarding the 2007-2013 EU budget. (Parkiet, p. 8) T.J.