It is with great pleasure that I welcome everyone who visits us, whether in person or via the internet, during the Portuguese Presidency of the European Union. The Parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee is responsible for all budget and finance matters, steering its actions towards promoting the principles of budget transparency, efficiency and rigour in meeting the income and public expenditure budgets, and in creating value when managing the State’s financial assets and liabilities.

On the 5 and 6 of November 2007, the Committee will organize a meeting of the Chairmen of the European Union Budget and Finance Committees, at the Assembly of the Republic. The topic for this meeting will be “The Reform of the European Union’s Financial Resources”. We hope that this meeting will make a relevant contribution to the current debate about the Union’s budget and wish all that visit us a very pleasant stay.

The Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee

Mário Patinha Antão