European Union member states have been asked to specify a realistic volume of revenue to be raised by new Europe-wide taxes, and to outline which adjustments are needed, as Ireland's EU Council presidency irons out a new compromise for the bloc's budget.
The thorny issue of creating fresh EU taxes, known as own resources, to finance the next long-term budget was on the table at a meeting of European ambassadors on Tuesday, with the Irish presidency testing the ground for a new compromise package.
"The vast majority of member states are willing to engage on a package of new own resources and adjustments to the existing system," reads a note shared ahead of the meeting.
"If each criticism were accounted for, the package would be minuscule. To arrive at a substantial package, compromises will need to be made by all."
At an informal ministerial meeting last week, several senior EU officials reiterated that own resources are an essential part of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), pushing back on the scepticism of the most "frugal" countries.
