During recent Council meetings, members of the EU discussed the community’s budget and economic competitiveness, with energy prices being a central issue. According to participants, discussions around energy prices appeared repetitive compared to the previous two meetings.
Meanwhile, specific policy decisions faced resistance. The introduction of the Emissions Trading Systems (ETS1 and ETS2) was targeted by Italy, which sought to postpone their launch, a proposal that was met with pushback. Furthermore, negotiations surrounding the Multi-Year Financial Framework (MFR) continue without a clear agreement. Donor nations, such as Germany and the Netherlands, have expressed that the proposed budget is significantly too high. Whether this disagreement will necessitate a special summit in November remains uncertain, based on information provided by participants.
However, discussions showed greater alignment concerning the support for Ukraine. Participants agreed that this aid must be maintained, reaching an amount of up to 70 billion euros. They also outlined that should a funding deficit emerge in December, the shortfall must be covered either by the member states or through the use of frozen Russian assets.
