Spanje bereid tot vermindering EU-hulp (en)

Spain has signalled its willingness to compromise on the EU budget ahead of tough talks, due next week at an EU summit in Brussels.

Spanish secretary of state for the European Union Alberto Navarro said in an interview on Thursday (9 June) that Spain is far too wealthy to continue to qualify for EU development aid.

In return, the UK should admit that the conditions that justified a British budget rebate since 1984 have also changed.

"It might be difficult to abolish the rebate but the UK must accept a formula that would reduce it over time", Mr Navarro said, according to the Financial Times.

Spain has received a quarter of the EU budget since 1992, support which is relatively bigger than the US aid to Europe under the Marshall Plan after the Second World War.

But, after enlargement of the bloc, Spain is no longer the country most in need of support.

Good news for Juncker

The Spanish move will be good news for Luxembourg prime minister and chairman of next week's EU summit, Jean-Claude Juncker. He is working hard ahead of the meeting to broker a deal on how to fund the EU from 2007 to 2013.

The main disagreement now appears to stand between France and the UK.

At a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday French president Jacques Chirac hit out at his British counterpart for not beeing willing to give up the British rebate on the EU budget, which was secured by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher back in 1984.

"The time has come for our English friends to understand that they have to make a gesture of solidarity for Europe", Mr Chirac said, adding, "We cannot accept a reduction of direct aid to French farmers".

But Mr Blair fought back, saying, according to UK media, that Britain's net contribution to EU funds is two-and-a-half times that of France.

"The reason for the unfairness is because the spending of Europe is so geared to the common agricultural policy" - a policy well past its sell-by date, said the prime minister.