In Brief

• EU leaders failed to reach an agreement on the multiannual budget of the Union worth about 2 trillion euros.
• Antonio Costa announced the preparation of a compromise proposal that leaders will discuss at an additional summit on November 26.
• Prof. Danuta Hubner points out that the negotiations are based on a previously prepared action plan, and the budget is intended to serve multiple purposes simultaneously.
• According to Hubner, there is plenty of funding for the Union's needs, and the biggest problem remains the distribution among countries and priorities.

Summit Without Agreement

At the summit in Brussels, the leaders of the European Union countries were unable to overcome the divisions regarding the budget for the next seven years. Its value is estimated at around 2 trillion euros (Europe for 2 trillion euros. What is the game about? Prof. Hubner on TOK FM: This is my biggest concern – TOK FM). The host of the meeting, Antonio Costa, announced the preparation of a compromise proposal that leaders will discuss at an additional meeting on November 26.

Why the Dispute is Difficult

As Prof. Danuta Hubner points out, the starting point for negotiations was the action plan that Europe prepared before the discussions about money. This means that the budget is intended to serve multiple purposes simultaneously, rather than just being adjusted to current needs. It includes both investment instruments and current expenditure.

The Stakes for Poland

According to Prof. Hubner, there is plenty of money for everything the Union needs, but the problem remains its distribution. The question of where these funds will go will determine what benefits individual countries, including Poland, will gain. Hubner believes this is the biggest reason for concern for Poland.

What’s Next

By the time of the next summit, the compromise proposal is to be refined. The next meeting regarding the budget is scheduled for November 26.