The European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG) held a “political” vote on the draft 2010 amending budget number 7, on 14 July in Brussels. The text creates a special budget line for the new possibility given to the European Commission to borrow and lend in its name €60 billion using the EU budget as a guarantee. This innovation was decided by the member states with their adoption of the €750 billion financial stabilisation mechanism, on 9 May. The BUDG committee has for weeks been calling for the creation of a legal basis for this borrowing capacity so that it can be mobilised quickly if need be and also to give Parliament its say. MEPs therefore decided to hold a political vote on this amending budget before the summer, in case a member state should be faced with a situation like the Greek case. Their ‘legal’ vote will be held in September. The Council will also have to vote.