Within the European Union, discussions about the multiannual budget must continue because there is still significant disagreement over the size of the expenditures. Not only do the heads of government have differing opinions among themselves, but the European Commission and the European Parliament also have other wishes and set different conditions.
At last week’s EU summit in Brussels, it became apparent that three more countries oppose the current plan for a larger Brussels budget. Sweden, Austria, and Denmark joined the earlier objections from the Netherlands and Germany.
According to the European Commission, the upcoming multiannual budget is to be increased to €1,300 billion despite the departure of the British – an increase of around €300 billion. This corresponds to 1.11 percent of the combined European income. The European Parliament is even considering 1.3 percent.
However, the five countries want no more than 1 percent to be spent on the EU budget. The EU cannot ignore this ‘coalition of five net contributors,’ said Austrian minister Eduard Müller. “With the Britons leaving the EU, we finance 40 percent of the European household. This situation must be taken into account,” Müller said.
The EU leaders have tasked the Finnish presidency with finding a new compromise for the next EU summit in December, according to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Netherlands continues to insist on a spending maximum of 1 percent of the economies of the EU countries. This is roughly the same as the current budget of about €1,000 billion over seven years.