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WORLD NEWS Saturday 22 February 2020
EU ends testy budget summit without deal, much work ahead

By LORNE COOK and RAF "It's a very difficult negotia- gions would disappear and
CASERT tion, especially after Brexit five countries that currently
Associated Press and the gap (of) between receive rebates — a return
BRUSSELS (AP) — European 60 and 75 billion euros," said on their funds because
Union leaders broke up a Michel. they contribute more than
marathon budget summit The so-called "Frugal Four" they receive — would lose
without a deal Friday and of Austria, Denmark, the that money, and their con-
their positions were still so Netherlands and Sweden, tributions would "skyrocket,"
far apart that they could and a few others, believe EU officials say.
not even decide when to the EU's 2021-2027 budget, It's not just about this lengthy
meet again on the divisive which is meant to fund am- summit. The whole budget
issue. bitious climate change and process was launched al-
After 28 hours of talks the digital economy policies, most two years ago and
leaders could not find a should amount to 1% of the EU's executive commis-
compromise, with a half the 27-nation trading bloc's sion had insisted it be fin- Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks during a media con-
dozen wealthy member gross national income. ished last fall, as the current ference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels, Friday, Feb. 21,
states insisting they would On the other hand, many budget period expires this 2020.
not stump up more funds of the poorer member December. Associated Press
for the bloc's next long- states and the European Broadly speaking, the "Fru-
term spending package, Parliament wanted to stick gal Four" with the backing to prove that Europe can by the commission, and
worth around one trillion with a bigger budget of 1.3 of Germany are lined up still forge ahead toward the EU's executive arm has
euros ($1.1 trillion). percent. against the "Friends of Co- brighter horizons, but Brexit raked in plenty of those
"The differences were sim- "I can understand that hesion," a group of mainly has left them with a sizable from antitrust cases involv-
ply too big," said German when you're a prime min- central and eastern Euro- budget hole — about 75 ing tech firms and others in
Chancellor Angela Merkel. ister in a country that has pean nations who want to billion euros ($81 billion) recent years.
"There is still a lot of work poor regions, infrastruc- see the continued flow of over seven years. So no country even pays
ahead of us." tures, I can understand that "cohesion funds" — money In the great scheme of 1% of its own gross national
What's at stake is whether ... but when it comes to the earmarked to help devel- things this is not a huge income, and the debate is
leaders are ready to put percentage, I stand firm," op poorer regions. amount of money for the over some 0.3 percentage
their money where their Danish Prime Minister Mette "If we want to find an agree- world's biggest trading points.
mouths are when it comes Frederiksen told reporters in ment, I think everybody has bloc. Even if a trillion euros But it's not just about con-
to European policy ambi- Brussels. to be flexible. It cannot be sounds like a lot, it actually vincing reluctant member
tions. At the same time, Dutch Prime Minister Mark the way that one, or some, amounts to about 1% of the countries to stump up funds.
amid poor economic Rutte said: "There is a way countries try to dictate gross national income of The European Parliament
growth, they cannot afford to get out of this. But not to- the outcome," said Finnish the 27 nations combined. must also ratify any final
to give the impression to night." Prime Minister Sanna Marin. The budget is also made budget agreement and for
their home audiences that The tussle over the seven- With Britain gone from their up of customs revenue and the moment EU lawmakers
they are splashing out tax- year budget is almost a ranks, the leaders want income from fines levied are far from happy.q
payers' cash. tradition in the EU, with
"As my grandmother said, long meetings par for the
to succeed you have to course.
try," EU Council President "In the past it was always
Charles Michel said. It was such. We needed two or
not clear yet exactly when three summits. I am hopeful
a new summit would be set. to get a new breakthrough
"The work is going to have to next time," said Austrian
continue in coming weeks Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
and months," said French It is an issue though that
President Emmanuel Ma- cannot be pushed forward
cron. "There have been forever. Unlike national
some improvements but budgets, the EU's spend-
they're not good enough." ing plan cannot be tem-
Beyond the problems of porarily rolled over based
reconciling rich and poorer on the terms of the previ-
member states, the depar- ous seven-year package.
ture of Britain at the begin- The budget's legal basis
ning of the month, which would evaporate without
was a high contributor to an agreement.
the EU coffers, also made From next year, funds to
things tougher. help poorer European re-