Brussels, 20/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - A new draft conclusions document on the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2014-2020 will be unveiled by the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, at the start of the special EU summit on Thursday 22 November. Speaking after an informal preparatory meeting on Monday 19 November, Van Rompuy, who is guiding the negotiations, is reported to be close to getting the negotiations about the MFF for 2014-2020 off the ground after a few adjustments have been made. There is plenty of speculation about the likelihood of agreement being reached at the summit although the heads of state seem determined to reach agreement this week no matter how long it takes. Views remain very opposed, however, about where the axe should fall and exactly how deep it should go.
Optimism? Ministers met for dinner in Brussels on Monday evening to prepare for the special summit on 22 and 23 November, where key decisions are to be made about the European Union's seven-year budget. French European Affairs Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told reporters on Tuesday that the meeting on Monday had moved things forward. His Irish and Finnish counterparts, Dick Roche and Alexander Stubb, both said they were now more optimistic about agreement in principle being reached this week. Their view is shared by Cypriot European Affairs Minister Andreas Mavroyiannis, who said a constructive and dynamic exchange of views had taken place at the Council of Ministers. At a General Affairs Council on Tuesday, which discussed the MFF for 2014-2020, he said that in the short discussion on Tuesday, all the member states had demonstrated their commitment to reach agreement and all of them were prepared to negotiate. He added that the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, was close to getting the talks off the ground. Herman Van Rompuy is reported to have ended the three-hour dinner meeting by calling on the various delegations to demonstrate flexibility.
New proposals on Thursday. In the invitation letter to the member states for the European Summit, Van Rompuy said that the absence of an agreement would be damaging for everyone and said that he would holding bilateral meetings on Thursday, ahead of the start of the summit (in the evening) with the various delegations, meetings at which he would be accompanied by the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso. Based on the positions of the member states, Van Rompuy will them adjust his draft conclusions document and submit the new version to heads of state later that evening. It is possible that the new proposals will not introduce any further cuts in the EU budget above the current suggestion of cuts of some €75 billion to €80 billion, but will spread out the cuts differently among the various budget headings.
Cacophony on CAP and rebates. “Balance” is the word used by Cazeneuve to describe France's line on the budget, balance and a decidedly European view. He added that France hadn't arrived in Brussels with scissors, but with a level to ensure the bubble's in the right place. He stressed the fact that France would not go along with drastic cuts in the common agricultural policy, and it is concerned about the fate of the Cohesion Policy. France will be sticking firmly to the idea of transition regions and ultra-peripheral regions under the Cohesion Policy, he explained. To ensure the cuts fall more fairly, Cazeneuve suggested adjustments be made under Heading 5 (Administrative Spending), adding that the budget had to have own resources and stop encouraging un-transparent corrections and rebates. He ended by saying that rebates and cuts was not the French approach.
The cuts plus reductions approach is, however, being promoted by other member states, including the United Kingdom, which has several billion euro at stake, and Sweden too. Swedish European Affairs Minister Birgitta Ohlsson said her country would fight to defend its rebate and there was still room for manoeuvre for further cuts in the farm and cohesion policies, along the line of the British idea of a freeze in the next budget in real terms at the level of the 2011 budget.
Germany will fight for the MFF being capped at 1% of the EU27's GDP, in other words around €960 billion for 2014-2020. Berlin is not reported, however, to oppose further cuts under Heading 1b (Cohesion). Irish minister Dick Roche said his country wants to negotiate on the basis of the proposal unveiled by the European Commission.
Differing views, along with a blast of optimism to unite them at the special summit on Thursday and Friday. (MD/transl.fl)