Can a new budget system bring Europe closer to its citizens?

Problems and shortcomings of the current system of own resources and whether a thorough revision is needed were among the topics of the annual meeting with EU national parliaments hosted on Thursday 16 June 2005 by the Budgets Committee of the European Parliament. Stumbling blocks on the way to a revision such as the future of the Common Agricultural Policy and the British rebate were discussed by MEPs and the participants from national budgetary and financial committees. It was recognised that a new own-resources system must be comprehensible to EU citizens.