The European Commission will publish proposals for the new 2014-2020 financial framework just days before the start of the new presidency on July 1.
Over the coming six months, Poland will be responsible for steering negotiations on future spending. The country, which has benefited in the past from generous European pay-outs, sees EU funding as the key to economic recovery, and wants to maintain support for poorer regions covered by the EU’s cohesion policy, including controversial agricultural subsidies.
“The new EU budget should be an investment tool”, says the Polish government in its programme, confirming that “enhanced co-operation is the most appropriate answer to the economic crisis and that cohesion should remain a key policy of the union”.
But, when talks start, David Cameron is expected to lead moves to rein in the EU budget in line with national government austerity measures.
