And I know that none of us before you today has ever done so, nor wants to do so in future.

And what are these petty debates taking place among the Fifteen today with regard to enlargement, when we hear what took place at the last general affairs meeting, with regard to giving two more seats to the Czech Republic, for example, or two more seats to another State?

At this point, I must however state quite clearly that agriculture ministers must not take this margin to mean that there is plenty of scope for every kind of shiny new expenditure package; this year has shown how quickly such a margin can be required for things which could not have been planned for.

Chancellor Schröder has spoken of a European federation, Prime Minister Jospin of a Europe of nations. I do not know what Aznar and Berlusconi will say, but I do know that the specific problems of the Community and the reform of the institutions are two sides of the same coin, and I do know that Europe must become a political area with a democratic soul.

Confronted with this – I do not know how to describe it exactly – this “Bank State” or this “Holy Bank”, the Vice-President of which, Mr Noyer, recently explained to us ingratiatingly, but in English, how responsible it felt for the long term whilst governments, on the other hand, gave in to short term whims because they were subject to the vagaries of universal suffrage. Confronted, then, with the omnipotence of this Bank, the excellent report by our fellow Member, Mr Huhne, calls for greater transparency, without however daring to go as far as demanding of you what might pass for exhibitionism, that is to say, ceasing to maintain anony ...[+++]mity regarding decisions.

I know that, by definition, appropriations are never sufficient for the needs of these regions.