"We still think that it is within our reach this week and urge to use all available opportunities. Everyone should feel responsibility to find the agreement that would strengthen the economic growth in Europe,” Linkevičius said in a communiqué circulated after a meeting with his EU colleagues in Luxembourg on Tuesday.
If the agreement is not reached, the responsibility of holding the negotiations with the European Parliament (EP) will go to Lithuania, which is taking over EU Council presidency from Ireland for six months on July 1.
2013 is the first year when the EP has a veto right over the EU budget, which has been agreed upon by all EU nations in the beginning of this year. MEPs are not happy with budget cuts and demand more flexible terms and conditions to revise the 2014-2020 budget that totals at nearly one trillion euros.
