A better process for a better budget. Bruegel Policy Brief 2009/04, July 2009

European Union budget negotiations often focus on member states' financial net balances, rather than on spending with EU-level added value. But net positions are an unreliable guide to sound EU policy. Changing the budget process is a precondition for any significant reform; the stubborn link between net balances and spending decisions will not be broken until the decision-making procedure changes. This will improve the quality of EU budget spending