Press Review: EU budget round up

EU leaders are set for a punch up over the a planned budget blueprint for 2007-2013 at a divided Brussels summit today.

Europe’s leaders have come out fighting with one side demanding sweeping cuts, others seeking more funding and Britain battling all comers.

The UK is refusing to budge on its rebate and the cost-cutting Dutch and Swedes have allied with London in support against Luxembourg's latest negotiating box.

On other fronts, France is opposed to cutting farm subsidies to help out Bulgaria and Romania.

Poland is set to leapfrog Spain to become the EU's largest net funding beneficiary scooping over €60 billion net if a budget deal is sealed.

Spain will sign up to an agreement only if a reduction of funding is phased in gradually.

An existing plan to give Madrid just €2 billion by 2008 is “clearly insufficient”, said Spanish leader José Rodriguez Zapatero.

Berlin could do well out of a Luxembourg EU presidency compromise, with German payments to the EU coffers set to be reduced by €10 billion by 2013.

Rome has called the latest budget proposals “better for Italy” than previous budget negotiating figures.

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