“This is obviously good news for us”, Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki told Polish Radio, noting that Poland remains the largest beneficiary of the EU budget. But he warned that a smaller budget sits uneasily with the bloc’s goals. “If we want the European Union to take ambitious action, the budget must be suitably large”, he said.
The proposed cuts fall partly on funds meant to boost European competitiveness. Irish European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne acknowledged that the plan would not please everyone, but said it was meant to speed up talks. “This negotiating package is meant to act as a catalyst so that we can reach an agreement by the end of the year”, he said.
The talks pit two camps against each other. Poland is among 17 countries opposing spending cuts, while a group of so-called “frugal” states led by Germany is pressing for sharply lower spending.
How to finance the budget could prove the hardest issue. Poland has already rejected a European Commission proposal to send part of the revenue from the EU’s carbon emissions trading system into the common budget. Niemczycki said there was “a certain understanding” that another solution was needed, but that more work remained.
EU leaders will hold their first high-level discussion of the plan at a summit in Brussels next week, ahead of full-scale negotiations.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio