Member States Dig Their Heels in over EU Budget

The European Union has to learn to take itself seriously before it can expect the United States to treat it as an equal, the outgoing EU ambassador to the US has warned. Speaking before the Foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament on Thursday, Günter Burghardt said that getting Washington to treat the 25-nation bloc as a partner "depends on how seriously we take ourselves" adding "that is something only we can manage." The German diplomat said that while there is an overall general will by the EU to "enter into a partnership of equals" it is undermined by the fact that some member states continue to accord bilateral interests more importance.