Budgettet og de finansielle overslag er arbejdsprogrammer støbt i tal, og i dag er vi begyndt at diskutere det politiske program for de næste fem år.
I also want to stress that the Structural Funds must not be turned into a piggy bank, for cohesion is at the heart of the European Union. In the country I know best, this throws up contradictions when politicians appeal to the masses with speeches about the 1% issue, only then to go to Brussels and ask for money to sort out the structural problems in their region.