Govt to present draft outline of seven-year EU budget
The Irish Government will this morning present an eagerly awaited draft outline of the next seven-year EU budget, what officials are calling a "major milestone" of Ireland's EU Presidency.
The Irish Government is set to unveil a draft outline of the upcoming seven-year EU budget, marking a significant step in the country's current EU Presidency. The document, to be presented in Brussels by Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne, will be scrutinized by EU leaders during an upcoming summit. The budget encompasses various aspects, including agricultural subsidies, research initiatives, migration policies, security measures, and Erasmus study programs.
The European Commission unveiled its €1.7 trillion budget proposal last summer, but subsequent presidencies, Denmark and Cyprus, have since trimmed its size amid pressure from net-contributor member states. Ireland now faces the challenge of refining the budget before it is considered by EU leaders.
Critics, particularly the "frugals" comprising Germany, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland, have urged Ireland to further reduce the budget by hundreds of billions, advocating for a stronger focus on competitiveness and defense. Conversely, the "Friends of Cohesion," consisting of 17 member states, have written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin, imploring him to preserve funding for agriculture and cohesion.
The Taoiseach has recently engaged in discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Macron has previously criticized proposals for substantial budget cuts, emphasizing the need for an ambitious European budget to support EU priorities, including defense.
In August, Germany and the other "frugal" EU members expressed concerns about a high bloc budget during a period of significant fiscal consolidation, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz facing political challenges due to the rise of the far-right AfD party. A senior European diplomat dismissed pre-summit speculation, stating that the EU recognizes the urgency of addressing this matter, but cautioned against premature discussions about alternative budget proposals.
Despite the debate, the EU does not face an immediate legal deadline for finalizing the budget, with the final deadline set for the end of 2027.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
