External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten has warned that plans to earmark nearly 12 billion EUR for the Balkans over the next six years…

Date: 30/03/2000

...will "undoubtedly involve us making some hard decisions" about other foreign aid programmes and "some adjustments" in the Union's overall budget. The warning came at a meeting of international donors on south-east Europe and just days after EU leaders agreed to give Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana a stronger role in coordinating actions in the Balkans.