Finland and Estonia call for speedy adoption of EU budget

Finland and Estonia wish that the European Union's financial perspective for 2007-13 be adopted as soon as possible, said prime ministers of the two countries who today met in the Estonian capital Tallinn.


Prime minister Matti Vanhanen

Finland's Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said that both his country and Estonia wish the EU financial perspective be approved within the next month during the British presidency.

"We both found that the state of things with adopting the financial perspective is not very good. We'd like to see it approved as soon as possible," the head of the Estonian government, Andrus Ansip, told reporters.

Ansip said that if the financial perspective is confirmed later than at the end of this year or early next year Estonia can in 2007 only make plans but will not be able to use EU funds.

In his words, Estonia and Finland have similar preferences about the budget of the 25-nation bloc, both attaching importance primarily to supporting education, research and life in the countryside.

Estonia and Finland, like other countries on the Baltic rim, need more information about a natural gas pipeline Russia and Germany intend to lay on the bottom of the Baltic Sea, the premiers found.

"Finland and Estonia have no information about the exact location of the pipeline and other countries' chances of joining it," Ansip said.

Vanhanen noted that a study is underway in Finland to establish whether the country should join the pipeline and whether such a project would attract investors. He added that the construction of the pipeline has to be preceded by a thorough assessment of environmental impact and in this regard all countries surrounding the Baltic Sea should have their say.

The Finnish prime minister attended a meeting of the Estonian Cabinet after his talk with Ansip.

Vanhanen said this was a historic opportunity since it does not often happen that the prime minister of one country has the chance of taking part in a meeting of another country's Cabinet.

"I forgot to ask Andrus Ansip if I too could have the floor at the Cabinet meeting," he joked.

TALLINN, Nov 24, BNS