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European Parliament rejects EU long-term budget

MEP's on Wednesday rejected the next long-term EU budget deal agreed by European leaders earlier in February. Adopted by an outstanding majority, the resolution will give European Parliament's President Martin Schulz enough room to negotiate and obtain concessions from EU leaders. "The Parliament wants to be taken as a serious partner. We are prepared to negotiate; this is an offer now, from the EP to the Council, to come to compromises and to improve the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)', said European Parliament's president Martin Schulz.

Baltic farmers sing for EU budget equality

This is traditional Baltic music. The singers are farmers from from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia As European leaders gather on Thursday to discuss the next long-term EU budget, Baltic farmers travelled to Brussels to protest against what they believe is an unfair treatment from the EU. The agricultural funding they get currently is much less than the EU average.

MEPs threaten to veto EU budget deal

Only two days before EU leaders will hold talks on the next 7-year EU budget, MEPs on Tuesday threatened to veto the eventual agreement if further cuts are made. Some member states, like the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden, have expressed their wish to slash the budget by an additional 30 billion euros. They argue that EU expenditure should be in line with national austerity policies. "Today's proposal is actually an act of political resignation, and we are going to reject it", EPP leader Joseph Daul said.

Ireland wants bank debt deal by June

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and his team of EU commissioners travelled to Dublin on Thursday to mark the start of the Irish presidency. Prime Minister Enda Kenny wants to use his presidency term to clinch a deal on restructuring Ireland's bank debt and successfully exiting the bailout programme. Banking supervision and reaching a deal on the EU budget will also be amongst Dublin's priorities.