Lidstaten dreigen EU-budget te blokkeren (en)

The member states that pay the most into the EU's coffers are planning to block the new EU budget unless their demands for a lower ceiling for the next budget are met.

According to the Financial Times, the UK, Germany and The Netherlands could delay the adoption of a new EU budget, unless there are big cuts to the proposed €1,000bn seven-year budget (2007-2013).

"They are serious. This budget round will not be like any other we have seen so far", one senior EU diplomat is quoted as saying.

These strong moves have also been discussed at ambassadorial level by the all six of the biggest contributors to the EU - which include Sweden, Austria and France.

Getting agreement on the amount of money for the next budgetary round will be one of the biggest tasks facing the new Commission starting on 1 November.

Member states have provisionally set themselves June 2005 as a deadline but it is very likely that this will be missed and the negotiations will drag on into 2006.