00:00Good morning, Shona.
00:03Good morning, Stefan.
00:04So, that was a much longer evening session than expected.
00:08What happened, and where was the much-invoked unity?
00:13Indeed, Stefan. Nowhere to be found, it appears.
00:16We knew that this summit had really heavy items on the agenda,
00:19not least of which, of course, was the content of the EU's seven-year budget,
00:24which it stands right now at about 1.6 trillion euros,
00:28but countries like Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden
00:32want to cut hundreds of billions of euros off that
00:35and much more of a focus on competitiveness and defence.
00:39There was no progress on this, so it doesn't bode well
00:41for the plan to have this negotiation set and done by Christmastime.
00:46The summit itself lasted about 14 hours,
00:48ended amid a discussion around spiralling energy crisis
00:52when there was a row over the future of the bloc's emissions trading systems.
00:56But I'm joined now by Ireland's European Affairs Minister Thomas Byrne
01:00to go through a lot of what happened last night and today.
01:04Minister, first of all, in relation to Ireland,
01:06Ireland obviously having the presidency of the European Council,
01:09it looks like the budget negotiations that you started have really failed
01:12and they need to start again.
01:15I wouldn't accept that at all.
01:16In fact, I think the opposite.
01:17Our assignment was to provide a basis for negotiation.
01:21I think we've actually got that
01:22because we've now handed over our negotiating box
01:25to the President of the European Council
01:26and he's going to take the negotiations further.
01:29And what we're hearing from member states is that,
01:32by and large, actually,
01:33many of them feel that we've gone in the right direction
01:35and there are many countries there,
01:37not just cohesion countries who want cap,
01:40there are some of the frugal countries, as they're called,
01:42that want to protect cap.
01:43So we've protected capital cohesion.
01:45We also have a very significant increase
01:47in the competitiveness fund as well.
01:48And at the same time, we managed to achieve,
01:51I would say, very significant cuts to the Commission proposal,
01:53which, of course, many member states have looked for.
01:56And it's important to remember,
01:57they're not cuts to what we're spending at the moment.
01:59They are, in fact, substantial increases.
02:00Yeah, indeed.
02:01But, I mean, one thing that we heard last night
02:03from President of the European Council, Tony Acosta,
02:06was that there's not enough there for flexibilities in the future.
02:09And we know, if anything,
02:10the European Union is dealing with
02:13unbelievable emergencies over the past few years.
02:15And there are issues that will get resolved
02:16before the leaders come to a final decision.
02:18There's no question about that.
02:19Like, I would say, if you look around the table,
02:21every member state has certainly one issue
02:23that they would like to see resolved.
02:25And in our view, probably can be resolved
02:27towards the end of the negotiation.
02:28So I wouldn't panic too much about that.
02:30I mean, I think in the overall sense,
02:32we've very much gone in the right direction.
02:34We've done what we're asked to do,
02:35which is bring the negotiations to a certain point.
02:37And I think we've succeeded in that.
02:39There is a bit of panic, though,
02:40because the idea is that this gets settled by Christmas time
02:43because there are so many really consequential elections
02:46taking place in the EU next year,
02:48not least in France,
02:49with Marine Le Pen saying that she will cut
02:51even more from the EU budget.
02:53Do you think this can be resolved by Christmas?
02:55I think it can be resolved by Christmas.
02:56But even countries like France and other countries
02:58depend heavily, for example,
03:00on the common agriculture policy.
03:01So, you know, everybody is looking for cuts,
03:04but you'll find that every member state
03:05is something that they want to protect.
03:07There's only one way of doing that,
03:08it's to get a compromise around the table.
03:10We know now that our nego box that we produce
03:13is a catalyst to bring the member states to agreement.
03:16There are other catalysts out there as well.
03:18The electoral situation, we can't do anything about,
03:20but let's be honest,
03:20it is a political reality that leaders face.
03:23What were leaders saying to you and the Taoiseach,
03:25the Irish Prime Minister, last night?
03:27Because, you know, from speaking to diplomats,
03:30particularly in countries like Sweden, Germany,
03:31they said they're quite disappointed
03:32with the job the Irish have done.
03:35What did they say to your face?
03:37I think in general,
03:39countries see that we have actually moved
03:41in a direction that brings us closer together.
03:43The reaction from member states to us,
03:45I would have to say,
03:47has been as expected.
03:49And we've heard some of the comments
03:50of the Commission.
03:51Of course, the Commission's proposal
03:52has been reduced,
03:54but that's what member states have looked for.
03:56That's what a substantial number have looked for.
03:57Others wanted capital cohesion protected.
04:00So we've tried to square that circle.
04:01I think people acknowledge
04:02that we've at least done that,
04:04and that this will bring us further towards agreement.
04:07Minister, there was also a discussion
04:09around enlargement.
04:11Your priority as part of the Irish presidency
04:14was to have Montenegro as part of the European Union,
04:16a member, by the end of this year.
04:18But there have been kind of roadblocks along the way,
04:21particularly from countries like Croatia and others.
04:23Tell us about this.
04:24Well, we want to conclude the negotiations
04:26by the end of this year.
04:27It'll take a little bit longer
04:28to actually, for them to become a member.
04:30I think we've achieved remarkable success
04:32on that in so far,
04:34in that we have closed chapters in July
04:36and closed on this week as well.
04:38So we've closed nearly two-thirds
04:40of their negotiating chapters.
04:41I think that's a really good moment.
04:43And actually,
04:43we depend on the member states to agree that.
04:45And now we're asking the member states
04:47and Montenegro
04:48to let that process move forward
04:49to complete it by the end of the year.
04:51So Montenegro has to do the work.
04:52It's a merit-based process.
04:53But we need the member states to respond.
04:55And so far, the member states have.
04:56Just wanted, before I go on to Ukraine,
04:58because that's today,
04:59there was an almighty row
05:00over the fate of the emissions trading system last night.
05:02And a lot of people blaming
05:03George Maloney, the Italian Prime Minister,
05:05of acting in bad faith.
05:06Is that something you'd agree with?
05:08Because the whole summit ended abruptly
05:10without a press conference and in disarray.
05:12I wouldn't say that's the case.
05:14Look, there is an issue on the ETS
05:15that it is politically very charged
05:17in many member states.
05:18That's simply a reality.
05:19And I think we have to reflect that reality.
05:21So I'm not going to criticize
05:22Prime Minister Maloney
05:23or anybody else for raising this issue.
05:25I suppose what we know, though,
05:26is that the emissions trading system
05:28and how that works
05:30is actually, I would say,
05:31essential to how we move
05:33and transition to the new energy supplies
05:34and how we reduce costs for consumers.
05:36Well, look, today is a big day.
05:38President Zelensky of Ukraine
05:39will be here in the next short while.
05:42He is looking for more money
05:44because it was underestimated
05:46how much is required for Ukraine
05:47to keep it funding over the next couple of years.
05:49What will the European Union
05:51be able to do for him
05:51in this hour of need?
05:53Well, the European Union
05:54has already responded
05:55very strongly to Ukraine.
05:56We've seen this year
05:57€90 billion loan
05:59for defence
05:59and for their government needs.
06:00And member states as well,
06:02including Ireland,
06:02have also given support to Ukraine.
06:04So, look, let's listen
06:04to what the leaders say
06:05and decide.
06:06But that support for Ukraine
06:07is absolutely ongoing
06:09and essential
06:09for the European continent
06:11as well as for Ukraine.
06:12OK, Thomas Byrne,
06:13Ireland, European Affairs Minister.
06:14Thank you very much
06:15for joining us on Euronews.
06:16And back to you in studio, Stefan.
