Taoiseach Enda Kenny today gave his statement to the Dáil in advance of the European Council meeting this week, 22nd and 23rd November.
The Taoiseach said:
The extraordinary meeting of the European Council on Thursday and Friday will be an important one, with significant implications for the Union over the coming years.There will be only one main item for discussion, the Union’s budget for the period 2014-2020, the Multi-annual Financial Framework.
It is my firm view that as Heads of State and Government, we have an obligation to work to show the European people that we can come to agreement in a decisive way on such important matters. For my part I will be at the table to negotiate an outcome that is in Ireland’s interests, and in the interests of the Union as a whole.
The Taoiseach addressed the difficulty of coming to an agreement between all 27 Member States:
As of now, it remains unclear whether it will be possible to reach agreement this week. There can be little doubt but that the positions that Member States have adopted remain a considerable distance apart.
Further delays would not be in our best interests, either nationally or as incoming Presidency, and speaking frankly, I do not see how further delay will change either the substance of what is involved, or improve the political context in which agreement must be reached. The time for action is now...
Ahead of this week’s meeting, therefore, I would call on all Member States, and the representatives of the key EU institutions concerned, to show the flexibility and compromise necessary if agreement is to be found.
With political goodwill, a deal can and should be found, allowing us to return our full attention to the Stability, Jobs and Growth agenda that will be the priority for us as Presidency in the first half of next year.
The Taoiseach highlighted the importance of CAP in the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF):
The EU’s budget must have the right mix of priorities, a fair allocation of resources and – most importantly in our present circumstances – a focus on jobs and growth.
The EU must, in short, have a budget that is fit for purpose.
We broadly supported the Commission’s original proposal. While there was of course room for improvement in detail, we thought it had the right overall balance. In particular, we thought it had the right starting point for negotiations on the size of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
It will be no surprise to anyone in this House to hear that in the negotiation of the Multi-annual Financial Framework, our over-riding financial priority has been to protect the allocation for the CAP and to maximise Irish access to it. The CAP accounts for about 85% of our total EU receipts: it is a key element in our overall relationship with the EU.
The Union’s budget needs a CAP allocation that will support a vigorous, consumer-focused agricultural production base in Europe...
But the importance to Ireland of a robust MFF is of course not limited to the CAP. We have argued strongly for an MFF with adequate resources for other key growth-enhancing measures. Our economies are changing, and the kind of support and stimulus we need from the EU is also evolving. Critical areas of our economies and societies such as research, education, improved connectivity and the important SME sector must be supported by the next MFF. I will continue to argue this strongly.
The Taoiseach spoke of implications for the Irish EU Presidency of 2013:
We must be realistic: there is a real possibility that this week’s Summit will not reach a deal. If so, it will have a great impact on our 2013 Presidency agenda. The Irish Presidency will in any case have responsibility for chairing discussions on many sectoral regulations underpinning the MFF – including on reform of the CAP – and another on Horizon 2020 – and for negotiating their passage through the Parliament. This would be greatly complicated if there was no agreed MFF.
We do not want a failed Summit – this would have severe implications for the Union’s reputation.
At the same time, we do not want a deal which isolates any Member State. That would have severe implications for the Union too.
This is now an active and delicate process of negotiation underway.
The Taoiseach concluded:
As I set out at the start, this is an important meeting for the EU and I hope it will result in a positive outcome.
I look forward to playing a full, active and constructive part in the negotiations, and I will report back to the House on my return.
Read the full speech here.