Ireland set to battle against British EU budget proposals

IRELAND will argue against British proposals to reduce EU spending on rural development and cut money for the new member states at a special meeting in Brussels today.

The British will spend the next 10 days trying to convince member states to accept their plan for an €847 billion budget for five years.

So far the response has been largely hostile with several governments accusing the British of using their EU presidency to satisfy their domestic needs to limit their own contribution rather than those of the Union.