France has rejected a compromised draft budget for the new EU budget period of 2014-2020, which was tabled by the head of the European Council on Wednesday (14th November)

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European Council president Herman Van Rompuy put forward the draft, following another released by current EU president state Cyprus last month, which angered several member states over plans to deliver swingeing cuts to cohesion funding (aimed at reducing the gap between the EU's richer nations and new entrants) as well as some cuts to the agriculture budget.

Britain, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands have called for a reduced budget, arguing that austerity measures being pursued in individual nations mean European spending should also be reduced. However, although France and a number of Southern and Eastern states want spending preserved, Britain and its allies are pushing for deeper cuts than have been tabled in drafts so far.

Van Rompuy's draft reduced spending in a number of areas, though the total budget would remain around the €1 trillion mark. However, France reacted strongly to the draft, which would see cuts to farm spending, of which the country is the largest recipient.  

Bernard Cazeneuve, France's European affairs minister, said on Wednesday, "We do not accept the proposal to reduce by €25 billion the money for the Common Agricultural Policy, which we consider a policy for growth." The minister had previously lambasted Cyprus' proposal for similar reasons.

On Wednesday, following the release of the latest draft, French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault rejected the proposal, contesting the projection for €80 billion in cuts. Ayrault said, "This proposal in no way constitutes a basis for negotiation that is acceptable for France in terms of ceilings on spending proposed for the common agricultural policy."

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