The Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER), which is composed of the ambassadors of the 27 EU member states, endorsed on the 30 November a "draft package" agreement on the 2013 EU budget and draft amending budget nº 6 for 2012. However, the European President Martin Schulz, stressed that there can be no talk with the Council of an agreement on the EU budget 2013 at this stage.

A deal was reached between the Cyprus presidency, representatives of the European Parliament and of the Commission at a trilogue on 29 November, on a "draft package" agreement on the 2013 EU budget and draft amending budget nº 6 for 2012. On the 30 November, the "draft package" was endorsed by the Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER), which is composed of the ambassadors of the 27 EU member states, and its role is to prepare decisions of the Council. The Commission agreed to decrease by €25.1 million its draft budget for 2013 in October 2012.

If the agreement is also endorsed by the European Parliament the application of the "provisional twelfths" scheme would be avoided. However Mr Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, highlighted that after extensive discussions with the Chairman of the Budget Committee, Alain Lamassoure, and after consulting the political groups, there can be no talk of an agreement on the EU budget 2013 at this stage. According to Mr Schulz, the guarantees that Parliament demanded from the member states are still missing. He added that therefore, no majority in the European Parliament for the draft compromise discussed on 29 November can be expected for now.

The European Commission submitted a first draft budget for 2013 for negotiations in spring this year. Nevertheless, it could not be concluded within the 21-day conciliation period which expired on 13 November. In line with article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU the budgetary procedure for 2013 had to start again with the presentation of a new draft budget by the Commission.