17 EU countries unite against cutting nearly €900 billion in spending on farmers and regions
Kyiv • UNN
17 EU countries demand that nearly €900 billion for agricultural and regional policy be preserved in the 2028–2034 budget. The initiative is coordinated by Italy and Romania.
17 European Union countries opposed cuts to funding for agriculture and regional policy in the EU’s next seven-year budget. The initiative is being coordinated by Italy and Romania, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Details
The joint letter was signed by Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
They call for nearly €900 billion in spending on cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy to be preserved in the EU’s future budget.
We believe that the overall funding for Cohesion Policy and the CAP should be preserved in the next multiannual financial framework
A dispute has emerged in the EU over the future budget
The position of the 17 countries contradicts the demands of a group of six countries led by Germany, which is calling for the future EU budget to be cut by several hundred billion euros.
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The European Commission previously proposed a budget of nearly €2 trillion for 2028–2034. Some funds from agriculture and regional support are planned to be redirected to new priorities, including defense and boosting competitiveness.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Romanian President Nicușor Dan plan to hold an informal meeting of representatives of the 17 countries during the EU summit on October 15–16.
The countries are also calling for the repayment of debt linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could amount to around €25 billion annually, to be deferred, and oppose budget rebates for wealthier EU states.