He expressed conviction that the budget numbers would be finalized with the European Parliament before the end of Ireland's presidency, which is to expire in the end of June. Lithuania will take over on July 1.
"Assuming there will be an agreement between the parliament and council during the Irish presidency, that is the goal, Lithuania will have to do a lot of work still, because there will be the need to agree on specific legal acts and policies," Barroso told Brussels journalists after meeting with Lithuania's Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius.
In Barroso's words, Lithuania's presidency priorities should include implementation of the Compact for Growth and Jobs, creation of the banking union, and completion of the internal energy market.
After lengthy negotiations, leaders of EU member-states agreed in February on a slashed budget of 960 billion euros. The European Parliament, which was against budget cuts, demands a provision for budget revision during the 2014-2020 financial perspective.
