In voting the annual budget, MEPs often use their powers to increase funding for projects beyond what the member states want to accept.
But many policies are now financed on a multi-annual basis, so negotiations on the amount available take place when the programme itself is being discussed. Not surprisingly, on several occasions MEPs have once again found themselves at odds with Council over the amounts in question, resulting in the convening of the conciliation committee. What is surprising, however, is the intensity of disputes over relatively small amounts. For example, MEPs wanted to see ECU 10.5 million allocated to the Ariane cultural programme, designed to promote the translations of books and other reading materials into minority languages. While Council was prepared to agree to other Parliament amendments, such as one designed to support small independent publishing houses, it steadfastly refused to budge from a cash limit of ECU 7 million, which Parliament was eventually forced to accept. Later, however, when the ECU 850 million Socrates student exchange programme went to conciliation, Ministers accepted the extra ECU 70 million wanted by MEPs. One reason for this may be the fact that student exchanges involve all member states, which is not the case with the minority languages programme.