President Iohannis says future EU budget should be adequate

President Klaus Iohannis said on Friday that the future multiannual budget of the European Union should be an "adequate one."

Asked what the size of the future budget should be, he said replied: "An adequate one".

He also pointed out that there is the possibility of discussing the enlargement of the EU to include North Macedonia and Albania at Friday's European Council meeting.

"Last night, we could not reach a common conclusion. That does not mean that talks will not be started with them, but not today or tomorrow. This is a situation that will need to be discussed in depth with North Macedonia and Albania. And there is the possibility of discussing the matter today. It is up to President Tusk to make the decision," said Iohannis.

Iohannis attended a European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday.

He said on Thursday that discussed at the meeting on Friday will be the future multiannual financial framework, with which he disagrees, pointing out that Romania does not support cuts in the funds for the Agricultural Policy and the Cohesion Policy.

"We will have a discussion tomorrow on the so-called MFF - the Multiannual Financial Framework - and I can tell you that I have my disagreements. Romania moved the MFF forward while holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union, in good faith, and together with its partners. The incumbent presidency [of the EU Council] seems to me not to do the right thing, because they have practically asked for a regress to what was before the Romanian presidency and came up with some proposals that I do not like and do not support under any circumstances. I cannot agree on cutting funds for the Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy, these things seem wrong to me. This is an approach that Romania does not endorse, which is what I will say loud and clear when we get to the chapter," said Iohannis before leaving for the European summit.

He pointed out that there should be negotiations on the allocations by the member states.

"Regarding the allocation by the member states, negotiations will determine whether it is 1pct of GDP or 1.1pct or, as Parliament has requested, 1.3pct, which is difficult to conceive, but in my opinion we cannot just shoot some figures into the public space without taking into account the member states, and that's what the Finnish Presidency has done," said Iohannis. AGERPRES