Mr. Günther Oettinger:

We are analysing the starting position of all member state governments and parliaments. At the moment, a majority of member states are ready to accept the higher ceiling and invest a little more money in the European Union's multi-annual financial framework. A figure of 1.1% seems to be acceptable to most of them and a figure of 1.2% seems to be acceptable to some of them. However, and this is not a secret, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, made crystal clear last week that for him the figure should be 1.0%. The new Chancellor of Austria made a similar strong and clear announcement. It is up to me, not us, to convince them and perhaps Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Italy - let us wait and see what happens in Italy after the elections - to invest a little more. To be in the driver's seat, I must be ambitious but realistic. Being overambitious would result in my proposal being rejected and we would then have nothing. Looking back to 2005, perhaps the Commission was too ambitious then because the European Council rejected its proposal, leaving the Commission totally out of the game. I need a balanced proposal that is ambitious but realistic. I have to ensure we have enough tools in the framework to be relevant, important and acceptable to all of our 27 governments and national parliaments.