The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, will continue his consultations during the week of 10-14 February with some of the EU heads of state or government on the EU’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. On 12 February, the European Parliament will have a debate on the European Council’s preparation of 20 February on the MFF (see other news).
The President of the European Council could present a compromise proposal on the next MFF at the end of next week, depending on the outcome of bilateral meetings with each of the EU leaders on this sensitive issue.
The draft compromise is expected to be discussed by ministers at a ‘General Affairs’ Council on Monday 17 February, ahead of negotiations at the highest level on 20 February.
There is a willingness on Charles Michel’s part to bring EU leaders to an agreement on the MFF on 20 or 21 February, not least so as not to jeopardise the start of the new EU programmes beginning in January 2021.
Some EU Heads of State or Government are doubtful about the chances of concluding an agreement as early as 20 February (see EUROPE 12420/3), as history has shown that it usually takes two European Council meetings to achieve this.
What is certain is that the negotiations are likely to be particularly difficult, not least because of the budgetary effects of the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU, namely the loss of 12 billion euros a year in contributions to the EU budget.
During the week of 10 to 14 February, Charles Michel will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
On Friday, Charles Michel met with Marjan Šarec, the Slovenian Prime Minister. Mr Šarec reiterated his opposition to the Finnish compromise presented in December (1.07% of GNI). “We do not agree with the proposed reductions. Cohesion policy is of paramount importance to us and this is what we will be emphasising in the negotiations at the European Council”, he said after their meeting. The Finnish proposal would result in a 28% reduction in Slovenia’s cohesion funding compared to the current period.
On Friday, Mr Michel also met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, and on Saturday 8 February he will hold talks with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
A very complicated debate. Following a meeting of the Baltic Council of Ministers in Tallinn on Friday 7 February, Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister of Estonia, said that an agreement on the MFF should be reached as soon as possible. However, he acknowledged that the European Council on 20 February would be “very complicated, as countries’ positions on the size of the budget are very different”.
Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn and the Baltic prime ministers (Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia) had a working lunch on the MFF on Friday in the Estonian capital.
Jüri Ratas spoke of the need for continued funding in accordance with cohesion policy.
Arturs Krišjānis Kariņš, Prime Minister of Latvia, stressed the unity that exists among the Baltic countries.
Saulius Skvernelis, Prime Minister of Lithuania, expressed “concern” about the figures under consideration for post-2020 cuts in agricultural and cohesion policy funding. He said he hoped EU leaders would reach “balanced” decisions on the next MFF.
Commissioner Hahn also acknowledged the differences in positions within the European Council on the size of the next MFF, but was “reassured and inspired” by the positions of the Baltic States on the needs for traditional (agriculture, cohesion) and new (climate, migration, etc.) spending.
Mr Hahn justified the need for “moderate cuts” in post-2020 cohesion funding because of Brexit. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)