Germany warns EU that €159B budget cuts are not enough
The Irish-led EU Council has proposed cutting the European Union's budget by €159 billion. According to the headline, Germany says that does not go far enough.
Ireland, which chairs the Council representing EU member state governments, has put forward a new proposal on the European Union's budget. It would cut the budget by €159 billion. Politico Europe reports that Germany is warning that cuts of this size are not enough. The issue matters because the size of the budget determines funding across all EU policy areas.
What would be affected
The cuts proposed by the Irish presidency would hit competitiveness measures and development aid. Agriculture and regional funds would be spared.
Talks ahead of the summit
The proposal marks the start of tough negotiations ahead of next week's summit of EU leaders. On 8 October, Politico reported that member states were bracing for a budget that is €100 billion to €200 billion smaller.
The Commission's position
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned against budget cuts on 6 October. She dismissed Germany's calls for big savings, arguing they would undermine priorities shared across the EU. The views of member states and the Commission on the size of the budget therefore remain far apart.
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