{"id":26511,"date":"2013-02-07T15:39:29","date_gmt":"2013-02-07T14:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.co.uk\/2013\/02\/07\/prime-minister-european-union-budget_n_2638066.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-politics?ncid=GEP"},"modified":"2013-02-07T15:39:29","modified_gmt":"2013-02-07T14:39:29","slug":"eu-budget-deal-is-difficult-but-doable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/eu-budget-deal-is-difficult-but-doable\/","title":{"rendered":"EU Budget Deal Is ‘Difficult’ But ‘Doable’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

David Cameron<\/a> arrived in Brussels for marathon EU<\/a> budget talks this afternoon insisting the negotiations were “going to be difficult” but a deal was “doable”.<\/p>\n

The prime minister is adamant there would be no deal unless the cost of running Europe<\/a> for the rest of the decade comes down.<\/p>\n

Downing Street said on Thursday morning there were “like minded” countries in Northern Europe<\/a>, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark who wanted to see a reduction in costs.<\/p>\n

On the table is a seven-year budget plan<\/a> the prime minister has warned he will flatly reject unless he sees savings which show the EU is sharing the pain of the austerity measures being taken back home.<\/p>\n

He walked into the summit building with a curt declaration amounting to a direct challenge to those warning that the EU<\/a> must have a big enough budget to foster jobs and growth and meet the costs of policies requested by EU leaders themselves.<\/p>\n

“The numbers are much too high. They need to come down – and if they don’t come down there won’t be a deal,” said the prime minister.<\/p>\n

He added: “The European Union<\/a> should not be immune to the sorts of pressure we have to reduce spending, find efficiencies and spend wisely – what we are all doing.”<\/p>\n

LIKE HUFFPOST UK POLITICS ON FACEBOOK<\/a> | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER<\/a><\/p>\n

As he arrived, the official summit start time was put back to give more time for behind-the scenes efforts to reach a compromise – although there was little sign that gaps have closed since a first round of budget talks collapsed last November.<\/p>\n

On that occasion Cameron<\/a> and other major contributors to the EU kitty rejected a cut from a planned spending package of about one thousand billion euros (\u00a3860bn) for 2014-2020 to about \u00a3756bn.<\/p>\n

Today German chancellor Angela Merkel arrived for the latest effort to reach a deal admitting that national positions remained “far apart”.<\/p>\n

And French president Francois Hollande went in saying compromise was needed, but making plain cuts in EU<\/a> agriculture spending – from which France benefits hugely – were not on his negotiating agenda.<\/p>\n

“We must not weaken the (EU<\/a>) economy.” he said. “I am here for agreement, if a deal is reasonable. Europe must find compromise, but must maintain growth and solidarity.”<\/p>\n

Spending cuts targets for the UK<\/a> include the farm budget – which absorbs 40% of the entire annual European budget<\/a>, mostly in the form of direct subsidies to farmers – and administration costs for running the EU<\/a> institutions.<\/p>\n

Cameron has warned that the public will not understand if the EU<\/a> maintains a budget – paid for by the Treasuries of the 27 member states – which does not reflect the kind of belt-tightening being imposed at national level.<\/p>\n

But his call for cuts in the size of the well-heeled EU<\/a> civil service have irritated Brussels, with Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso insisting that the EU budget<\/a> holds the hope of fostering jobs and growth at a time of austerity for the benefit of all.<\/p>\n

Since the last budget talks broke down Cameron has made his pitch for “a new settlement” between the UK and the rest of the EU<\/a>, with the repatriation of powers and, ultimately a referendum on whether to stay in the EU<\/a> or leave.<\/p>\n

The development has done nothing to improve the chances of Cameron getting the scale of financial cutbacks at EU<\/a> level that he is demanding – although British officials in Brussels insist the attitude towards Britain has not been damaged.<\/p>\n

Before the summit got under way Barroso said all of the EU<\/a> had to be ready to negotiate “in a spirit of responsibility”.<\/p>\n

“Further delays will send out a very negative message at this time of fragile economic recovery. The risk is that positions will harden and will be even more difficult to overcome.”<\/p>\n

But the 27-way negotiation was pushed back further this afternoon, with a second delay announced while efforts continue to avoid an embarrassing stalemate when the leaders finally get together later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n

David Cameron<\/a> arrived in Brussels for marathon EU<\/a> budget talks this afternoon insisting the negotiations were “going to be difficult” but a deal was “doable”.<\/p>\n

The prime minister is adamant there would be no deal unless the cost of running Europe<\/a> for the rest of the decade comes down.<\/p>\n

Downing Street said on Thursday morning there were “like minded” countries in Northern Europe<\/a>, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark who wanted to see a reduction in costs.<\/p>\n

On the table is a seven-year budget plan<\/a> the prime minister has warned he will flatly reject unless he sees savings which show the EU is sharing the pain of the austerity measures being taken back home.<\/p>\n

He walked into the summit building with a curt declaration amounting to a direct challenge to those warning that the EU<\/a> must have a big enough budget to foster jobs and growth and meet the costs of policies requested by EU leaders themselves.<\/p>\n

“The numbers are much too high. They need to come down – and if they don’t come down there won’t be a deal,” said the prime minister.<\/p>\n

He added: “The European Union<\/a> should not be immune to the sorts of pressure we have to reduce spending, find efficiencies and spend wisely – what we are all doing.”<\/p>\n

LIKE HUFFPOST UK POLITICS ON FACEBOOK<\/a> | FOLLOW US ON TWITTER<\/a><\/p>\n

As he arrived, the official summit start time was put back to give more time for behind-the scenes efforts to reach a compromise – although there was little sign that gaps have closed since a first round of budget talks collapsed last November.<\/p>\n

On that occasion Cameron<\/a> and other major contributors to the EU kitty rejected a cut from a planned spending package of about one thousand billion euros (£860bn) for 2014-2020 to about £756bn.<\/p>\n

Today German chancellor Angela Merkel arrived for the latest effort to reach a deal admitting that national positions remained “far apart”.<\/p>\n

And French president Francois Hollande went in saying compromise was needed, but making plain cuts in EU<\/a> agriculture spending – from which France benefits hugely – were not on his negotiating agenda.<\/p>\n

“We must not weaken the (EU<\/a>) economy.” he said. “I am here for agreement, if a deal is reasonable. Europe must find compromise, but must maintain growth and solidarity.”<\/p>\n

Spending cuts targets for the UK<\/a> include the farm budget – which absorbs 40% of the entire annual European budget<\/a>, mostly in the form of direct subsidies to farmers – and administration costs for running the EU<\/a> institutions.<\/p>\n

Cameron has warned that the public will not understand if the EU<\/a> maintains a budget – paid for by the Treasuries of the 27 member states – which does not reflect the kind of belt-tightening being imposed at national level.<\/p>\n

But his call for cuts in the size of the well-heeled EU<\/a> civil service have irritated Brussels, with Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso insisting that the EU budget<\/a> holds the hope of fostering jobs and growth at a time of austerity for the benefit of all.<\/p>\n

Since the last budget talks broke down Cameron has made his pitch for “a new settlement” between the UK and the rest of the EU<\/a>, with the repatriation of powers and, ultimately a referendum on whether to stay in the EU<\/a> or leave.<\/p>\n

The development has done nothing to improve the chances of Cameron getting the scale of financial cutbacks at EU<\/a> level that he is demanding – although British officials in Brussels insist the attitude towards Britain has not been damaged.<\/p>\n

Before the summit got under way Barroso said all of the EU<\/a> had to be ready to negotiate “in a spirit of responsibility”.<\/p>\n

“Further delays will send out a very negative message at this time of fragile economic recovery. The risk is that positions will harden and will be even more difficult to overcome.”<\/p>\n

But the 27-way negotiation was pushed back further this afternoon, with a second delay announced while efforts continue to avoid an embarrassing stalemate when the leaders finally get together later.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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