Poland displeased with revised EU budget proposal

Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz on Wednesday rejected Britain's revised budget plan for the European Union and threatened to veto the proposal.

"The proposal, if it remains as it is now, will be vetoed by Poland," Marcinkiewicz said at a brief news conference ahead of an EU summit beginning Thursday. "It does not satisfy us in any way."

Poland is the largest of 10 countries that joined the EU last year and are hoping to benefit as much as they can from regional development funds as they try to catch up with the West.

Britain, which currently holds the EU's six-month presidency, on Wednesday proposed a total package of US$1.01 trillion for the 2007-2013 budget, slightly higher than the US$993 billion proposed last week and rejected by most EU member states.

The revised plan offers Poland some US$1.4 billion more than last week's proposal, according to the AP.

Marcinkiewicz said his message to British Prime Minister Tony Blair would be: "Tony, I advise and ask you ... do not pretend to take a step, but take it - not just one, but two or three."

Earlier Wednesday, the EU's regional policy commissioner said the revised budget proposal was a step in the right direction, but still did not answer Europe's needs.

V.Y.