'This shows exactly how not to proceed,' the Dutch minister of finance said
Some of the EU’s richer countries were quick to call for much deeper cuts to the European Commission’s draft budget following the release on Thursday of a negotiating text which makes modest reductions.
The Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU has shared the long-awaited, so-called ‘negotiating box’, dealing a blow to fiscally conservative countries, including Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, with cuts totalling roughly €33 billion.
“For the Netherlands, this is a no-go box,” said Eelco Heinen, the Dutch minister of finance, in a statement. “It is unaffordable, unbalanced, and with the wrong focus. The overall volume remains far too high at a time when fiscal space is limited across Europe and difficult choices are unavoidable.”
The proposal foresees a 2% cut in comparison to the European Commission’s €1.76 trillion proposal for the 2028-2034 cycle – with the main reductions targeting the competitiveness and the external action pots, while largely staying clear of the mega-fund that includes agriculture and regional development.
