Mr President, in setting out the budget for the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security, I had a number of objectives, the first of which was to send a clear message to the Mediterranean that the European Parliament regarded that part of the world as a priority. We were dismayed by the cuts made by the Council with regard to Mediterranean policies. I am delighted to see that we have been able to restore those cuts and in fact rearrange the budget in such a way as to indicate that we gave priority to support for democracy and human rights in the Mediterranean.

So we wanted to emphasize once again the Committee on Foreign Affairs' commitment towards support for democracy and respect for human rights. I am delighted that has been put into effect by the recommendation of the Committee on Budgets and I am delighted particularly that we have managed to find extra money for the victims of torture, although like everybody else I would like to have seen more money made available.

My main priority was to try to get a budget which reflected the realities of the common foreign and security policy. In that respect there were three sub-objectives. The first was to get it budgetized, which we have done, and to get it properly financed instead of continuing to rob Peter to pay Paul as we have done up until now. Although we do have certain reservations about the solutions that the Committee on Budgets has come up with, this is, nonetheless, a step forward. We wanted to reconstruct Section B7 of the budget to properly resemble a foreign policy budget. I regret that has not been done but I recognize that this is likely to be addressed in the next 12 months.

Third, I also wanted us to have a budget which reflected the objectives of security policy. I regret the Committee on Budgets has seen fit not to accept this particular line. It is a missed opportunity for this Parliament that we do not get to grips with the security policy. I am particularly concerned about the way certain items were railroaded out of the way by the Committee on Budgets and I feel it does not augur well for the budget process in Parliament that we can have a proper dialogue in the committee but we cannot have a proper dialogue with the Committee on Budgets, particularly the chairman of the Committee on Budgets.