Growth a key driver of budget

Overall EU spending will fall under its new budget, but investment on growth and jobs will be up, writes Herman Van Rompuy

ONE week ago, after a long night of negotiations, the 27 presidents and prime ministers of our countries reached a deal on the EU’s budget for the next seven years. On Monday, I will be presenting and defending it in the European Parliament.

As is clear from press reports, each of the leaders tried to get the best deal for their own country and citizens. The important thing for me is that together we reached agreement on a budget for the rest of the decade, and a good deal for Europe as a whole.