The European Commission on Wednesday (25 April) had an uphill struggle explaining why next year's EU budget needs to go up by 6.8 percent, even as it preaches austerity to member states.
The increase - to €138 billion from €129.1 billion for 2012 - is largely due to promised payments for various projects in member states that are now being called in.
The finer points of the EU's multi-annual budget system - which sees member states make payment promises only to baulk at actually f...
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