THE FINANCES OF THE UNIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL PILLARS - TORTUOUS EXPERIMENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY BUDGET

The Union Treaty offers the Council the possibility of using the Commu nity budget to finance measures under the two intergovernmental pillar s. Some Member States are reluctant to do so because they fear that th e application of Community budgetary procedures might lead to a commun itarization of intergovernmental action through the back door. Yet, it has proved to be very difficult for the Member States to agree on how to finance such measures out of their national budgets. The Council h as therefore increasingly used the EC budget for measures under Titles V and VI. The way in which this has been done, however, has caused se rious interinstitutional friction, has blurred political and budgetary responsibilities within the Community system, and raises question's a bout adequate parliamentary control and the efficiency of the present system of financing.