Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reiterates that the Union budget needs to be committed to a peaceful and civil foreign policy in line with international law to ensure that the European Union becomes a nonviolent player in the world and acts as a mediator which seeks only civil and peaceful solutions to conflicts, and that the Union budget therefore needs to fund pressing political priorities such as poverty eradication, sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals, arms-control, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty regime and nuclear disarmament, peaceful resolution of conflicts, favouring balanced economic relations, fair trade and fair distribution of the world resources and wealth to ensure stability and prosperity in the EU and the world;