Cameron cites Renzi on EU 'lethal weapon' numbers

(ANSA) - Brussels, October 24 - British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday he agrees with Premier Matteo Renzi on questioning European Commission-requested budget adjustments. "I quote the Italian premier's reaction when these numbers were released. He said this is not a number, it's a lethal weapon," Cameron said. "He's a reasonable person, and I agree with him".
    Cameron, whose country has been hit with a 2.1-billion euro bill from the European Union due to new economic calculations that now include proceeds from criminal activities such as drugs and prostitution, said Friday that his country won't pay. "If the European Union goes on behaving like this, they should not wonder why there are those who call for an exit," the British leader said.
    Italy will likely be hit with a 340-million euro bill under the same re-calculations to include criminal proceeds, the Financial Times reported. Cyprus, Greece and the Netherlands have also been asked to pony up more money, while Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, and Poland all got rebates, according to the BBC.