The State Secretary at the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić, said on Tuesday 28 January in Brussels that it was time to find a compromise on the EU's next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
Following a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council, Andreja Metelko-Zgombić said at a press conference that the Member States were “pleased” to receive Charles Michel's invitation to an Extraordinary European Council on 20 February (see EUROPE 12412/17).
“I think it's very timely, we need to sit around the table and find a compromise”, stressed Mrs Metelko-Zgombić. She added that the MFF 2021-2027 had to be adopted in time to be able to implement all programmes and adopt legislation before the beginning of 2021.
A working lunch of European Affairs Ministers was organized on the MFF “to confirm the current situation” on the dossier, she said.
During the presentation of the Croatian work programme to the General Affairs Council, the French and German delegations welcomed the holding of this Extraordinary European Council.
German Minister Michael Roth said he hoped for a consensus between the different EU institutions to “ensure what we are going to do to protect our climate, for cohesion and to raise our level of ambition in the world”.
Amélie de Montchalin, French Secretary of State for European Affairs, recalled in particular that France wants to abolish rebates, introduce new own resources (carbon inclusion mechanism at borders, Emissions Trading System resource and plastic tax), defend the CAP budget and allocate 30% of the budget to climate transition and 10% to the fight against pollution and the preservation of biodiversity.
Italy and Romania also referred to the forthcoming discussions on the MFF. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)