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Taoiseach Enda Kenny will represent the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a meeting in Brussels of Europe’s “Four Presidents” today to discuss the EU’s multiannual budget.

Negotiations on the budget will resume at the European Council later this week.

The four Presidents are the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy; the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso; the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz and the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The European Council did not manage to reach full agreement on the EU budget for the next seven years at its meeting last November.

Those negotiations resume at European Council level in Brussels on 7 and 8 February, under the Chairmanship of President Van Rompuy.

As Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Ireland will have the responsibility of engaging with the European Parliament on agreeing the overall budget.

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