BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 19. Artjoms Uršuļskis,
Parliamentary Secretary at Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
took part in the General Affairs Council of the European Union (EU)
on Friday, where an initial exchange of views was held on the
European Commission’s proposal for the EU’s long-term budget after
2027, Trend reports.
The proposal was officially published on 16 July and marks the
beginning of member state consultations.
During the meeting, Parliamentary Secretary Uršuļskis emphasized
the need for an ambitious multiannual financial framework that
addresses both traditional EU priorities and new emerging
challenges.
“We see the overall budget proposed by the European Commission
as a good starting point for discussions, taking into account the
current needs. We welcome the increased funding for security,
defense, and connectivity, and the long-term support allocated for
Ukraine. However, we believe there is still significant uncertainty
regarding allocations to individual Member States,” Uršuļskis
said.
Uršuļskis expressed concern over the merging of Cohesion Policy
and Common Agricultural Policy funds, noting that current proposals
do not adequately account for the disproportionate socio-economic
impact of the war in Ukraine on EU countries neighboring Russia and
Belarus.
The European Commission’s proposal, published earlier this week,
will now serve as the basis for negotiations between EU Member
States.
A final decision on the long-term financial framework will
require unanimous agreement among Member States, as well as the
consent of the European Parliament. A detailed review of the
proposal is already underway.
The General Affairs Council is responsible for overarching EU
matters that span multiple policy areas, including EU enlargement
negotiations, European Council preparations, the multiannual
financial framework, and institutional and administrative
issues.