Brussels (AFP)

European leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday for an intense discussion on the next multi-annual EU budget, while several clans clash over how to make up for the contribution of the British after Brexit.

It is a "tradition" in Brussels: the heads of state and government always need two summits to decide on the multiannual financial framework (MFF), hard negotiations which take place every seven years, further complicated this year by the shortfall of 75 billion euros caused by the departure of the British for the next 2021-2027 budget.

But for the European Commission, it is high time to break this tradition, as the timetable is tight. During the 2013 negotiations, the leaders had reached an agreement on February 8, and the procedure had been completely finalized in mid-December. A late adoption that had lost a year (2014) in the distribution of European funds.

To try to advance the debate, since the Commission's budget proposal in May 2018, the President of the European Council Charles Michel made an amended proposal on Friday.

The Belgian has multiplied bilateral meetings in the capitals ahead of the extraordinary summit. But for the moment no one is advancing on the outcome of the latter, nor on its duration.

Like the attempt to compromise the Finnish presidency at the end of the year, the figures did not generate any enthusiasm.

With one less Member State, the EU must find a difficult balance between its so-called traditional policies, cohesion (intended for the least developed regions) and agriculture, and the new priorities it has set itself, in particular the fight against climate change and the assertion of the bloc on the geopolitical scene (security and defense).

- The band of frugaux -

"Of course, we want a decision, we want an agreement but not at any price," reacted French Minister Amélie de Montchalin on Monday, particularly concerned about the fate of farmers.

France, like fifteen other member states, wants to take advantage of the UK's departure from the EU to end the discounts granted to five countries (Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden) in order to reduce their national contributions.

These countries, except Germany whose position is less strict, are also those which claim a European budget where the national contributions would be limited to 1% of the European gross national income. They received the nickname of "the four frugals".

The richest country in Europe, Germany alone finances one fifth of the European budget, a share which should rise to 25% in the new budget.

"The + four frugal + argue very strongly for a smaller budget and discounts, obviously they will not be able to have both," said a senior European official.

In contrast, the "friends of cohesion", about fifteen countries in southern, central and eastern Europe, are worried about the cuts announced in the so-called "traditional" policies from which they benefit.

Charles Michel proposes as a basis for negotiation a budget of € 1,094.8 billion (at constant 2018 prices) over 7 years, which is around 40 billion less than the Commission's initial proposal.

"Compared to what we are currently spending it is a drop, compared to what the States pay, it is an increase", because we have to compensate for the financial hole linked to Brexit, summarizes a senior European official.

The President of the Council has slightly increased the budgets for cohesion policy and the CAP, even if these two areas still show an overall drop of 80 billion compared to current levels.

He integrated the 7.5 billion from the Just Transition Fund proposed by the von der Leyen Commission, money intended for the regions most affected by the energy transition which must also coax the poorest countries which see the funds of cohesion.

It also offers a reinforced arsenal to endow the EU with new own resources, in order to complement national contributions: a "tax" on non-recycled plastics and income from the European carbon market.

© 2020 AFP