EU countries are reluctant to increase their national contributions to the union's next seven-year budget. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
This information was reported by Euractiv, citing diplomats and officials.
Disagreements persist
According to the publication, significant disagreements persist among countries over how much the European Commission's proposed budget for 2028-2034 should be cut.
European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis, commenting on the negotiations amid significant differences between member states' positions, admitted: "This will not be easy."
The issue is complicated
The issue is further complicated by governments' reluctance to significantly increase transfers from national budgets or introduce new sources of EU revenue proposed by Brussels.
Negotiations on the EU's multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034 must conclude with an agreement between member states and the European Parliament.
Costa's intention
Earlier, European Council President António Costa stated his intention to agree on the draft budget by the end of this year.