Negotiations on Next European Union Budget (2014-2020) Continue

26.03.2012

No. 77-E

At the General Affairs Council held in Brussels today, the ministers discussed sections of the budget package that require political agreements to be made before an agreement can be reached on the package as a whole.

Under discussion were elements in four major sections: matters related to economic growth, security and citizenship, a global Europe, and administrative issues. Permanent Representative to the European Union Ambassador Matti Maasikas, who represented Estonia at the meeting, stated that the negotiations are progressing well under the leadership of current EU presidency Denmark.

Maasikas said that Estonia supports the European Commission’s proposal regarding the general size of the budget (1025 billion euros in expenditure commitments). “Estonia would like for the condition that use of European Union budgetary funds is connected to the financial indicators of the member state to apply to all European Union policies, not just EU cohesion policy,” said Maasikas.

“Also important to us is the further enlargement of the European Union and reflecting the ‘more for more’ principle in the Global Europe section,” Maasikas noted. “This principle means more co-operation and integration with the partner countries that are ready to carry out more reforms and adjust their laws to match European Union legislation,” he explained.

Within the budget negotiations there is a debate going over European Union funds and instruments (for example the Development Co-operation Policy Fund), which were left out of the general budget in the European Commission’s proposal. “It is important for Estonia that some of these funds be attached to the budget – then the sums that were already arranged for common EU policies, such as cohesion policy, will not be reduced,” Maasikas added.

Estonia also supports ending the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund as a separate entity and merging it with the European Social Fund.
 
The next EU budget discussion on the ministerial level will take place during the General Council on 24 April.

Additional information:
Helen Ennok, press spokesperson, Estonia’s Permanent Representation to the EU
+32 474 98 16 57

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