Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna has described the revised negotiating package, known as "nego box", presented by the Cyprus Presidency in Brussels as a "decisive milestone" for reaching a political agreement on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, as she pushed back against criticism that the package favours some member states over others.
"Today is a particularly important day for the Cyprus Presidency and at the same time a decisive milestone for the European Union to achieve a political agreement on the MFF, it will serve as the basis for a substantive political discussion," she said, speaking on 11 June.
The package, presented for the first time with concrete figures, is the result of over five months of intensive work. "The negotiating framework we have tabled today reflects the different approaches and political sensitivities of member states," Raouna said, noting that the Presidency had worked "with transparency, objectivity and inclusivity, seeking through intensive negotiations to bridge the distances between member state positions and shape a credible point of convergence" that would lay the ground for the political negotiations to follow, including under the incoming Irish Presidency.
The nego box proposes a 2% cut across all budget headings, while preserving the modernised architecture put forward by the Commission. "We worked to maintain the key elements of the new architecture, which aims to modernise the budget, simplify financing instruments and procedures, and strengthen the Union's flexibility to address challenges more effectively," Raouna said.
The package will also feature on the agenda of the General Affairs Council next Tuesday in Luxembourg, while the President of the Republic will present the Cyprus Presidency's progress at the informal European Council on 18-19 June.
Asked whether the Cyprus Presidency had tilted the balance in favour of cohesion and traditional policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy, at the expense of frugal member states demanding deeper cuts, Raouna was unequivocal. "We listened closely and worked closely with all member states, carefully reflecting the positions, priorities, sensitivities and red lines of all, acting as true honest brokers," she said, acknowledging that "there were very strong and often opposing views on all sides."
While some member states had pushed for extensive cuts and others for maintaining or even increasing spending levels, "we chose the path of a 2% cut, and across all budget headings without exception," she stressed. The competitiveness heading, which includes the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), remains above 50% of the total budget, with the principle of excellence preserved at its core.
In response to a CNA question on whether the nego box could realistically serve as a basis for negotiations, given that some member states were already signaling rejection, Raouna said she had anticipated such reactions. "We are well aware that when you are the Presidency tasked with putting the first numbers on the table, there will be reactions," she acknowledged, while insisting the text represents "a comprehensive and balanced compromise that can serve as a basis for the negotiations ahead."
She pointed to a telling indicator: national allocations account for around 41% under the new scenario, compared to around 60% under the current MFF. "A sign," she argued, "that modernisation remains at the heart of the proposal". She also stressed that the nego box is "only one piece of the puzzle," with the sectoral regulations — the National and Regional Partnership Plans fund (NRPP), the ECF and Global Europe — being negotiated in parallel.
Asked about the risk of failing to reach agreement by end-2026, Raouna acknowledged the difficulties while holding firm on the goal of a timely deal to ensure uninterrupted EU funding from January 2028. "We still have 19 days of Presidency. We will continue working intensively, inclusively, as honest brokers, results-oriented, until the very last day of our Presidency," she said, adding that Cyprus would also support the incoming Irish Presidency since reaching agreement, as she put it, "is a shared responsibility of all member states."
(Source: CNA)
