‘Don’t cut subsidies to northern farmers’ union tells Finnish PM
Representatives of the Finnish farmers’ union held last-minute talks with premier Jyrki Katainen at Helsinki Airport on Thursday before he headed to the EU summit in Brussels.
The meeting is aimed at reaching consensus on reducing the size of the EU’s budget between 2014 and 2020.
The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) urged Katainen not to approve proposed cuts in farm subsidies.
The PM says Finland aims to preserve agricultural development funds and subsidies for sparsely-populated areas of eastern and northern Finland.
Gruelling summit ahead
European leaders were staking out strong positions as they gathered for what promises to be a turbulent and long summit on the seven-year budget for the 27-country bloc.
In a battle pitting several wealthy member states against those seeking a bigger aid budget, British Prime Minister David Cameron is leading the charge for those seeking a reduction in the financial clout – and political sway – of the EU’s institutions.
On Thursday evening, EU negotiators said they were close to securing British and German backing for a deal on nearly a trillion euros of spending over the next seven years, but that last-minute concessions might be needed to secure French and Polish support.
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