EU Commissioner Lewandowksi + EU Parliament Budget Committee Head Lamassoure to EuroFora on Turkey +

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- While nearly all other EU Budget Funds for 2013, as well as in EU Member States' National Budgets, are reduced or cut under strict Austerity Measures, nevertheless, Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid seems due to be paid about 1 Billion € in full Grants (i.e. in addition to EIB's Loans), despite several MEPs' attempts to cut it in reply to Ankara's provocative boycot of EU Council's rotating Chairmanship held by Cyprus between July and December 2012, while, astonishingly, the exact figures of EU Funds earmarked for Turkey during the next year appears very difficult, if not impossible to find now among several vague EU Documents without specific data, the competent EU Budgets' Commissioner Lewandowksi having curiously eluded a relevant "EuroFora"s question and simply replied that the precise amounts for 2013 will have to be determined by Negotiations, on which he refused to "speculate" (See Infra)...

Nevertheless, the competent EU Commissioner for Budger and Financial Programming, replying to "EuroFora"s question, admitted that 2013 is due to be a particularly "Difficult" Year for EU Funds, for several reasons, advising not to ask for more than what might be really needed, avoiding any "big increase", (See Infra).
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- "EuroFora" asked Lewandowski at a Press Conference during EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg yesterday, whether EU Funds scheduled for Turkey on the basis of EU - Turkey "Open-Ended" Negotiations (i.e. which haven't necessarily to head towards Full Accession into the EU, but can also lead f.ex. to a Privileged Partnership or another kind of Closer Relations, if and when Conditions might be met), "were (exceptionaly) maintained, or reduced, alike to many other Programs, (even of vital importance to EU Citizens and/or EU's Integration/development) for 2013. (For another "EuroFora"s question to the same EU Commissioner, on the EU Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives 2014-2020, see the specific "EuroFora"s NewsReport).

- Lewandowski, astonishingly replied by giving the Numbers for .. Croatia's forthcoming 2013 Entry into the EU ! Even the exerienced President of EU Parliament's Budget Committee, French MEP Lamassure, despite being a strong critic of Turkey's controversial and unopular EU bid, simply told "EuroFora" that he "didn't know" whether the 860 Millions € to 1 Billion € earmarked for Turkey last year (2012) would be, them too, diminished, as most other EU Funds for 2013, drastically reduced or cut, as a reply to Turkish negative behavior vis a vis EU Member State Cyprus' rotating EU Presidency, or not at all, eventually even being .. augmented..

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- In fact, "that's a complex of a variety of Questions included in one", EU Commissioner Lewandowski joked from the outset, smiling in reaction to "EuroFora"s questions, (almost as he had commented on a differend question, raised earlier by a collegue journalist of "EuroPolitics", qualifying it as a kind of threefold "Hat Trick" in football language)..  

- "Real (EU) Enlargement (Financial) Envelop included in our (EU's) Budget is for Croatia, as it was negotiated in the (EU-Croatia) Accession Treaty, the 2nd Half of the Year, and this should be close to 700 Millions € I think. So, this is "in" the EU Budget for 2013," he observed.+ "As well as other Instruments for Foreign Policy,  (due) to be established by Negotiations, (i.e.) what amount comes finally for the so-called "Heading 4", for External EU relations", he added."But the most Safe part is of course for Croatia, because it's a part  of what was negotiated in the Accession Treaty, as a part of a Deal",

- However, "it's not for me to speculate what might be the main issue of Discussions for 2013", Lewanovski carefully noted.

- But, "drawing on the lessons on the Shortage (of EU Funds) for 2012, I do believe that it's Better to supplement 2012, than to go for Big Increases for 2013", he advised.

- "If we are close to our Amending Budget for 2012, there will be No Increase in Real terms for 2013, because our Amending Budget is lifting the Volume of this year's (2012) Budget to the level of 2013".

- "2013 is, in my understanding, the most Difficult Year in terms of Obligations of the (EU) Member States (which currently are) in Excessive Deficit procedure, much more Difficult than 2012, due to the promisses and the obligations", he warned. Therefore, "I would recommend some Amendments for this Year (2012), in order to save Problems for 2014".

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Available FACTS :

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In fact, concerning "EuroFora"s question on Turkey, Ankara's Government got at least 856 Millions € on this year's 2012 EU Budget, i.e. the greater part of the IPA Program, to which were added several BEI low-cost Loans (that the artificially sustained, but currently Falling, Turkish Growth badly needs, as Washington DC headquartered Global Ranking Agency Simon and Poors recently revealed, after Downgrading Turkey precisely because of that Risky dependance on Short Term Foreign Loans, which are currently decreasing and/or uncertain, therefore unsustainable). Concerning EU Budget for 2013, astonishingly, the competent EU Commissioner, despite the fact that he was asked on Turkey, nevertheless, Lewandowski gave figures only about ... Croatia's forthcoming Entry into the EU (comp. Supra) ! And even the experienced, former EU affairs Minister for France, and current President of EU Parliament's Budget Committee, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Alain Lamassoure, speaking to "EuroFora", acknowledged that he "wasn't aware of the exact figures" about EU Funds earmarked for Turkey in the 2013 EU Draft Budget, nor whether they were lower, similar or augmented compared to the last year (2012), following or, on the contrary, opposite to most other EU programs' Reduction, even "in certain particularly important sectors", as Lamassoure had just denounced.

+Even more surprising is also the fact that Pre-Accession Instrument's (IPA) Funds earmarked for Agriculture and Rural development in the Draft 2013 EU Budget .. augmented for Candidate Countries, including Turkey (+ 5,6%), while, on the contrary, they are notoriously threatened with further restrictions inside EU itself... On "Energy" projects, the EU Funds allocated for 2013 to Candidate Countries (i.e. including Turkey) augment too, compared to last yeat (2012), for  almost .. + 16% !Astonishingly, (and perhaps the most important of all), "EuroFora" found, for the 1st time in  19 Years of work in European/PanEuropean/International News, that now it proved to be Extremely Difficult, EVEN TO KNOW the Amount of Money that Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid Costs :

- At first, when "EuroFora" asked the competent EU Commissioner for the Budget, Lewandowski, whether EU Funds earmarked for Turkey had been diminished, or not, during this period of Global Crisis, particularly when many Other EU Activities, obviously much more important for EU Ciitizens and/or for EU's Future, are threatened by drastic Cuts, surprisingly, Lewandowski simply changed and spoke only about the entirely Differend matter of the Full Entry into the EU of ... Croatia ! (Comp. Supra).

+ But an even bigger Surprise was revealed afterwards, when "EuroFora", speaking with the President of EU Parliament's Committee on Budgets, the experienced former EU affairs Minister, French MEP Alain Lamassoure, on this same point ; Despite his well-known, strongly critical stance against Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid, nevertheless, even Lamassoure himself astonished by revealing that he simply "didn't know", and, kindly advised us to... "ask the (competent EU) Commissioner Lewandowski, (i.e. the same person who had just eluded that Turkey Funds issue, preferring to focus exclusively on the absolutely Differend case of... Croatias's aleady decided full Entry into the EU, scheduled for the 2nd Half of 2012 : comp. Supra). ..

In despair, we tried even to ask another MEP, with a solid reputation of havin been elected mainly on the basis of a very Critical stance againsty Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid : The President of EU Parliament's Security and Defense Committtee, former Expert, French ChristianDemocrat MEP Danjean  : His immediate reaction inevitably added to the overall Mystery : Danjean admitted that he ignored that Number, and kindly advised "EuroFora" to "ask Lamassoure", i.e. the President of the Budget's Committee, who "didn't know" that detail, and had also kindly advised us to "ask EU Commissioner Lewanoiwski", who, after being questioned by "EuroFora" in public, at a Press Conference in EU Parliament, on Turkey's EU Funds for 2013, simply eluded that point, prefering to speak, instead, for Croatia's imminent entry inside the EU (Comp. supra) !...

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+ Given that "EuroFora" had learned, a year earlier, by a Group of MEPs and Experts, that almost the Same Amount of Money needed for EU Space Research and Development (f.ex. on GMES, GALILEO, etc. : i.e. about 850 Millions € each Year), was precisely what was also given to the notoriously undemocratic and retrograde Turkish regime, despite its continuing and often aggravating serious Violations of Human Rights, as ECHR's judgements clearly prove, from 1995 up to 2012... (Comp.: .........), we tried to search at least all the immediately available EU sources of information :

- But, at the Internet, curiously, neither EU Parliament's, nor EU Commission's, neither EU Council's relevant Website pages didn't provide this time, at first view, any clear Data on the Total Amount of EU Funds due to be given to Turkey by the 2013 EU Budget : Either the relevant pages were Empty in this regard, or (even more strange) they contained certain links which pointed to .. Erroneous, "Dead Ends", (f.ex. "page manquante", "addresse introuvable", etc),  or to some other pages which were, curiously "Prohibited" to Access (!).

+ Searching, as "ultimum remedium", for the usual Paper Documents on the annual EU Budget traditionally distributed inside EU Parliament's Press Centre for Decades, "EuroFora" was even more astonished (as well as several other persons) to find out that, exceptionally, and Contrary to what was both a well established Tradition, as well as an obviously elementary Democratic Safeguard for the Efficiency and the Seriousness of EU Parliament's and all MEPs' Right and Duty to be able to check how EU Taxpayers' Money is spend, (i.e. by at least knowing WHO receives HOW MUCH EU Funds and FOR WHAT LEGAL PURPOSE, on what CONDITIONS, etc), in fact, it was almost .. IMPOSSIBLE to See not even a Page, a Paragraph, or at least a Line, or a mere Number, which would, at last, reveal, simply how much EU intended to spend for Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid on 2013  :

- In fact, this time, contrary top what was always done in the Past, all Distributed (and even more) relevant EU Documents on the Budget 2013, didn't mention at all any Number for the Money due to be given by the EU to Turkey on 2013 : Only some vague references to the overall Credits destinated to ALL "Candidate" Countries, curiously without any Distinction between them, leaving any Reader, mysteriously, in the Dark !
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=> Thus, in EU Parliament, MEPs who wished to "Cut" EU Funds for Turkey in the EU Budget for 2013 in order to "make a Political point", "in view of Turkey's decision" to Boycott "the Cyprus Presidency of the (EU) Council in the 2nd Half of 2012", (as it was stressed in the Draft Amendment No 552, officialy tabled at the Budget's Committee at the initiative of the "Freedom and Democracy" Group, etc), were obliged to raise that point vis a vis EU's "Financial support .. to the Turkish Cypriot Community" in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus still held by Ankara's Foreign Army, which is clearly indicated at the  Budget Line No  22 02 07 03, (contrary to the astonishing Obscurity practically hidding the exact amount of EU Funds earmarked for Ankara itself :  See above)..
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However, on the forthcoming Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives of the period 2014-2020, EU Commission has just asked an Increase of the Instrument of Pre-Accession (IPA's) Funds from about 11 up to more than 14 Billions €, (i.e. almost + 3 Billions € more), despite the fact that, meanwhile, Croatia would have normally become a new EU Member, thereby liberating several Hundreds of Millions € from IPA for other "candidate" countries, including the controversial and unpopular Turkish EU bid...
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Meanwhile, concerning the EU Budget for 2013, EU Commission's initial Draft has already asked more than 1 Billion and 60 Millions € for EU Enlargement's policies and administration, in terms of commitments' appropriations, i.e. almost the same amount as for the year 2012, despite the fact that Croatia will become EU Member during 2013, thereby ceasing to be funded via Enlargement appropriations, so that the obvious question is where will go next year those EU Enlargement Funds which, one year before, f.ex. on 2012, were earmarked for Zagreb..

+ In addition, the same EU Commission's initial Draft Budget for 2013 asks also more than 154 Millions € for other "Budget Headings open to Candidate Countries", including Turkey, (i.e. mainly in order to Fund participation to EU Programs on "Competitiveness and Innovation", "Life long Learning", "Culture", "Youth", etc), in which Ankara receives the Biggest Part, with about 124 Millions €, i.e.  more than ..74 % of the Total, (even with Croatia included...).

=> If a similar Proportion is used also for the rest of EU Enlargement-related Funds (i.e. more than 1 Billion and 60 Millions € : Comp. supra), then Turkey might get about 785 Millions € from specific "Enlargement" Funds, to which are added its 124 Millions € from other EU Headings on Programs "Open to Candidate Countries" (comp. Supra), arriving at a Big Amount of .. 908 Millions € of Grants for  Turkey next year !

+ To this sum can be also added other EU Funds for Turkey's participation to EU's "7th framework programme on Research" for the period 2007-2013, on Information and Communication Technologies, Space and Security (such as GMES, GALILEO, research on Terrorism and Crime : 751 Millions € for all), Transports, Direct EU Joint Research Center's actions, and/or Mobility of Researchers, which total some Billions €, (both for EU and  3rd Countries taken together), but on which, Ankara's part is not yet known... 

==> In consequence, EU Funds for Turkey in 2013 might reach about 1 Billion € in full Grants, according to the available Data (cited Supra), to which are naturally added also EIB Loans to Ankara, whose part among the 1,12 Billion € earmarked for all "Pre-Accession Countries" in 2013 (i.e. more than in 2012, despite Croatia's entry into the EU during 2013 !) is to be determined yet, (after having been initially fixed at about 450 Millions € in Loans on December 2000, i.e. 11 years earlier, and certainly augmented since then)....
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From a GeoPolitical view, it's interesting to note the fact that, in Comparison, specific EU Funds for "Relations with (all) Latin America" Countries,  (including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Panama, etc.), are about 380,5 Millions € for 2013, while for "Relations" with "China" find special EU Funds only for "Business and Scientific Exchanges" with just ... 3,7 Millions € for Payment Appropriations only, (i.e. for implementation of older contracts), and the "genuine Strategic Partnership" with Russia doesn't get more specific EU Funds  than only ..1,86 Million €, merely for "Minorities"' culture, Media and Civil Society (NGOs)...
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(NDLR : "DraftNews", as already sent earlier to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

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