HM Embassy in Warsaw:
The Embassy EU/Economic team maintains a regular dialogue with Polish Ministries and civil society on EU budgetary issues, to secure the best outcome for the EU. An effective EU must be equipped with a budget that enables it to respond to globalisation – and for this the EU budget needs reform.
For example, in 2007, 40% of total expenditure was allocated to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and 60% of Structural and Cohesion Funds (SCF) spending went to richer Member States. The commitment of the European Commission and Member States to a fundamental review of the current budget in 2008-9 is a welcome and necessary. (sic)
An intriguing way of describing the Embassy’s work. In my day the aim of our work was to secure the best Budget outcome for the UK, not for the EU. Achieving the latter was the Commission’s objective. Hence a messy negotiation between the EU HQ and member states. Have member states surrendered their roles and their money to this extent now?
And that last sentence ends on a tantalising, mysterious note…
