EU Budget will prove hard nut to crack, says Commissioner

Speaking to Polish Radio on Saturday morning, Lewandowski (pictured left) pointed to what he claims is a proper way of directing sensitive debate on the matter as one of Poland’s priority tasks during its current EU Council presidency.

Commissioner Lewandowski said that the EU is in need of additional funds to provide better security for its external borders and for guaranteeing further economic development.

Lewandowski also noted that insufficient security of external Union borders has resulted in tightening relevant measures on internal borders between individual EU member countries.

“[The EU] needs tougher borders,” Lewandowski said, adding that “if there are no secure borders for all 27 member states, it is tempting, as we have seen in the case of Denmark, France and Italy, to erect internal borders […], so money is needed for the external security of the EU.”

The comment comes as France, Italy, and Denmark have voiced their intention to suspend the Schengen Agreement, which allows for the free movement of people and goods throughout the EU as well as a number of neighbouring countries.

Commenting on the Greek crisis, Janusz Lewandowski spoke of the necessity to approve the second financial aid package for that country in order to calm the situation on international markets. In his opinion, this should constitute the final such package for Athens.

“[The EU’s] finance ministers have accepted a second bailout package for Greece, in my opinion the last,” Lewandowski stated, adding that it should constitute a “last chance” for Athens to sort out its finances.

The EU budget commissioner also remarked that it would be advisable for Prime Minister Donald Tusk to establish a team of experts to work out emergency solutions in case of similar problems as those encountered by Greece. (ss/jb)