There was more speechifying today. In the morning I spoke to quite a large group of European Studies students from Maastricht University. I believe that all of us involved in the integration process should be able to explain what we are doing to denizens of the ‘real world’. In the absence of time to get out ‘there’, speaking to visitors’ groups (when I can) is one way of keeping in touch, even if they are students of European studies. I started the afternoon off with a visit to the Budget Group, which was discussing the tactics and the strategy of the Committee’s draft 2011 budget. We are living in unknown territory now. The Lisbon Treaty has introduced a new budgetary procedure and nobody knows quite how it will work. What we know already, however, is that the smaller institutions will not be able to defend themselves in the gigantic conciliation meeting which has replaced the old second reading. From the Budget Group I went to a meeting of the steering committee for the two Committees’ Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, which I co-chair, together with my counterpart in the Committee of the Regions, Gerhard Stahl. The Committees are already pretty green in their approach and we are forever improving our act.