EC demands £9.5bn for unpaid bills

The European Commission has challenged austerity-conscious EU governments by demanding another 11.2 billion euro (£9.5 billion) to cover unpaid bills this year.

The move - instantly condemned by a UK Government spokesman as unacceptable - follows a deal on the EU's long-term budget in February which Prime Minister David Cameron hailed as the first to cut costs in real terms. But Euro-MPs warned at the time that acceptance of cuts came with a catch - more cash would be needed to cover outstanding commitments this year.%VIRTUAL-SkimlinksPromo%