EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEADERS REJECT UK FINANCE PROPOSALS.

Leaders of the European Parliament's seven political groups unanimously rejected the UK Presidency's latest proposals on the 2007-13 budget on December 8.

The leader of the Socialist group, Martin Schulz, explained that the Parliamentary leaders considered the figures in the UK's proposal "too low" and the structure of the proposal a "provocation". The UK's compromise did not underline the principle of solidarity in the European Union but was an appeal to "national egotism", he said.

On December 5, the UK tabled a proposal with a spending ceiling of euro 847 billion or 1.03% of the EU's gross national...