Minister Stubb to EU’s financial framework negotiations

Government Communications Unit
Press release 206/2011
15.7.2011

The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet in Brussels on Monday, 18 July. Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb will represent Finland at the meeting. Minister Stubb will meet, for the first time in his new role, the Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, Janusz Lewandowski, who served as Member of the European Parliament at the same time with him. Minister Stubb will also meet Commissioner for Trade, Karel de Gucht, whose term as a Minister for Foreign Affairs coincided with that of his own, and Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, Olli Rehn.

The Commission will present its proposal for the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework at the Council. The Commission proposals will officially launch long negotiations on the financial framework and they are expected to be finalised in spring 2012 at the earliest. Finland aims at safeguarding the preconditions for agricultural production in Finland and at preserving the special status of eastern and northern Finland in regional and structural policies. Finland finds it positive that the Commission proposal take account of the focus areas of the Europe 2020 strategy for jobs and growth, and supports efforts to modernise the budget. Finland emphasises that the next EU financial framework must reflect the challenging situation of public finances.

The Council will discuss ways forward as regards the decisions adopted by the European Council spring meetings. Poland, which assumed the rotating EU Presidency in July, will also cast some light on the autumn agenda by introducing its Presidency programme.

Inquiries: Lauri Tierala, Special Adviser to the Minister for European Affairs and Trade, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6306 and Marko Mäntylä, Counsellor, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2120