2020-02-23 20:10 update: 2020-02-24, 13:13
Mateusz Morawiecki. Photo PAP/Radek Pietruszka
The end of the Brussels summit does not end negotiations on the future EU budget, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki has written on Facebook, commenting the lack of any final decisions despite a 30-hour long marathon of top-level talks in Brussels.
Morawiecki pointing out that ahead are weeks or even months of negotiations aimed at reaching an ambitious and fair EU budget for 2021-2027 stressed that negotiations on the future EU budget will determine the future development of the European project.
The PM wrote that the EU is facing a great challenge of convincing some sceptical countries to the need of increasing or at least maintaining budget spending at the present level. "We cannot be divided between stingy and generous countries, between Euroenthusiasts and Eurosceptics. We should all be Eurorealists wanting an ambitious Europe."
According to the PM, countries that call for the lowering of their own expenses while promoting new ideas forget that they are the largest beneficiary of the common market.
"The amount of money generated by West European countries from investments implemented in our part of Europe exceeds the amount of funds transferred to the East through the European Union budget. Making a division between 'net payers' and 'net beneficiaries' is therefore artificial and unfair. Being in the European Union benefits all sides," stressed the prime minister.
Morawiecki also wrote that "all must understand that Europe will build its competitiveness and global position only by using ambitious financial tools. Without the cohesion and agricultural policies, without a fair energy transformation, and finally without a sufficiently high budget our capabilities and dreams will get stuck in place. And we want a Union that is ambitious, full of investment, mobile, open to innovation, but able to complete already started projects," declared the Polish PM.
Meanwhile, spokesman for the Polish government Piotr Muller said on Sunday that despite the lack of an agreement, Poland maintained its negotiating goals, including more funds for the Common Agricultural Policy and the cohesion policy. Income from the sale of CO2 emission rights was also excluded from the new budget proposal as a source of own revenues.
"There is no agreement because we, like 17 other states associated in the ambitious Europe group, think that these outlays should be higher and that West European countries should jointly contribute more funds," said Muller.
"To a large extent our negotiating proposals have already been accepted but this does not mean that we will not continue to fight for additional funds," Muller told Polish state television. (PAP)
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