Entente Discordiale?

[Aragorn1]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4106250.stm

EU summit meeting breaks up with out any agreement over the budget.
I was wondering what people though over the positions of both countires, particularly regarding the rebate.

Perhaps predicatbaly, I think, there is a case for it. At least at the moment given the financing of the EU. I could understand if i were the Germans that were complaing, they too face a unfair return on their investments, which at the moment is worse than the UK, but would not be without the rebate.

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/pic...,206062,00.jpg
http://images.thetimes.co.uk/TGD/pic...,206429,00.gif

If you look at the above figures, you can see that at the monet, given the reabte we give more and get less than France, and every country other than Germany, and receive less back than a number of countries, including France and Germany. Therefore, unless there is a fairer distribtuion, I beleive the reabte should stay. I do not desire that we scrutinize every penny in and out, but such an unfair balance that would occur without the rebate would be unacceptable. Even at the moment I beleive that we contribute our fair share.

[ 06-18-2005, 07:34 AM: Message edited by: Aragorn1 ]

[Orbost]

Every country joins the EU for what they can get out of it. There will always be this kind of horse trading where countries try to wangle the best deal they can get, and once you get a good rebate there's no way you ar going to give it up.

[mad=dog]

Well from my point of view the Brits are on the right track. We needed the agricultural subsidies back in the days where we were underproducing. A market cannot ever hope to survive unless it is self-sufficient in agricultural production. However today it is a mockery to keep it in place - at least to preserve it unaltered. So the British rebate ought to serve as a model - fewer subsidies = lower contributions.
The heart of the problem is that the recent no to the treaty and growing EU discontent in France makes it difficult, not to say impossible to cut the subsidies at present. The lack of French activity to make the home economy less dependant on subsidies is entirely their own fault. Most other countries are ready to move on.
A Danish key issue is that more of the contribution money must go to reinvestment. It is implied that subsidies to unprofitable agricultural production is immidiately disbanded.