Leaders face split over EU ‘shock absorber’ for regions

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso wrote on 20 October 2005 to Tony Blair, President of the Council of the European Union, and Josep Borrell Fontelles, President of the European Parliament, presenting five ideas to relaunch negotiations on the Financial Perspectives for 2007-2013. These proposals aim to facilitate discussion in the run up to the European Council, December 2005.

Also on 20 October 2005, the European Commission issued a report to EU leaders, 'European values in a globalised world', that analyses the scale of the challenges faced by the EU in the face of global competition, the impact of new technologies and an ageing population. The report will be considered at the Informal European Council, Hampton Court, 27 October 2005.

European Commission: Press Release: IP/05/1322 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1322&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Press Release: IP/05/1318, President Barroso presents five proposals to relaunch negotiations on EU Financial Perspectives for 2007-13, 20.10.05 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1318&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/05/386, Five proposals to relaunch negotiations, 20.10.05 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/386&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

BBC News, 20.10.05: EU head calls for modernisation http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4359684.stm

---