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This is the multi-annual budget of the European Union approved by EU leaders last year. Part of it is the financial package of the Connecting Europe Mechanism, which provides for 1.4 billion euros. “to complete the missing key cross-border rail links between cohesion countries.”
Photo by AB Lietuvos Geležinkeliai / Key facts about Rail Baltica
This money should be allocated to the Baltic railway project, Rail Baltica. It would connect Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with Western Europe.
However, these funds have been the subject of controversy during the so-called trilogue. This is called legislative negotiations between the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament.
Scanpix / AP photo / Annual speech to the European Parliament by Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission
It was this institution that sparked the negotiations not to support specific projects or country-specific initiatives.
Does the Recovery Fund Threat?
In a letter sent last week, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, the Prime Minister of Latvia, Krišjanis Karinis, and the then Prime Minister of Estonia, Yuri Ratas, stated that without the aforementioned funding it would not be possible to complete Rail Baltica.
They are working for the eventual adoption of the EU budget as agreed in the conclusions approved by the European Council last July. This council is made up of the leaders of all the countries in the community.
“Strict adherence to this political will … has been and continues to be a key priority for the Baltic States to ensure stable funding for the Rail Baltica project,” said the letter sent on January 18. 15 minutes.
Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania / Photo by R.Dačkus / Gitanas Nausėda
“For our countries, this line of conclusions was an important part of the general package on the Multiannual Financial Framework and the next generation of the EU, which led all Member States to make big commitments,” he said, referring to the EU budget. and Recovery. Background.
The letter was addressed by the Baltic leaders to the Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, as his country currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU.
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / Latvian Prime Minister Krišjanis Karinis
G.Nausėda, K. Karinis and J.Ratas also stated that the success of the negotiations on the EU budget will guarantee “a smooth ratification process of the decision on own resources in our countries”.
This ratification is necessary in all EU countries for the European Commission to be able to borrow 750 billion euros. EUR to the Recovery Fund to mitigate the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic on economies.
The money will be distributed to EU countries in the form of grants and low-interest loans.
According to current estimates, Lithuania will receive grants from the Economic Recovery and Resilience-Building Mechanism in 2021–2026. could receive 2.22 billion. euros.
70 percent. The distribution of the measure by country is already clear: from this part, Lithuania will receive 2,090 million. euros. The distribution of the remaining part will depend on the changes in the Gross Domestic Product of the EU countries in 2020-2021, and will only become evident in 2022. According to the latest forecasts, Lithuania could need 0.13 billion of this part . euros.
And Lithuania will decide on its own loans.
Reuters / Scanpix Photo / Estonian Prime Minister and Center Party Leader Yuri Rat
The letter from the Baltic leaders also states that Rail Baltica will give a boost to the economies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and help reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector.
You can read the full letter described below.
15min photo / letter from the leaders of the Baltic countries on Rail Baltica
15min photo / letter from the leaders of the Baltic countries on Rail Baltica
Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, President of the European Affairs Commission of the Seimas 15 minutes He said he was disappointed that Rail Baltica was supported and funded by the EU as it was not a matter for the three states but for the community as a whole.
However, he doubted that disputes over the project could hamper the approval of the decisions necessary to launch the Recovery Fund.
Sigismund Gedvila / 15 min photo / Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė
“The Recovery Fund is of the utmost importance. We need to get out of the pandemic with the least possible loss. So far, there is no indication that any process is stopping. I would not want that way,” said the politician.
According to her, the decision on own resources for ratification in Lithuania will be presented at the beginning of the spring session of the Seimas.
Politico, the Brussels news portal, was the first to report on the letter from the leaders of the Baltic countries.
Call for compliance with the decision
When asked why the letter from the Baltic leaders linked the money to Rail Baltica and the processes required to start the Recovery Fund, Presidency 15 minutes They indicated in their responses that all last year’s deals on European funds were considered as one package.
“The leaders of the Baltic countries mention the Recovery Fund in a letter to the Prime Minister of Portugal as an integral part of the general agreement reached by the European Council on July 21, 2021,” the reply said.
“The Baltic States consider all EU financial documents for 2021-2027 (Multiannual Financial Framework Regulation, Recovery Plan, Sectoral Legislation, Decision on the EU’s own resources system) as a single package, which should reflect the difficult compromise reached by EU Member States “. He said.
Photo by Erik Ovcharenko / 15 minute photo / Kaunas train station
The presidency also noted that the European Council’s decision on funding for Rail Baltica is particularly important to complete the project by 2026.
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Marius Skuodis, said that Rail Baltica is a strategic infrastructure project for the entire EU, so it needs adequate political attention and adequate funding.
“The consensus reached in the European Council must be maintained. Timely and sufficient funding is a key condition for the implementation of the Rail Baltica project”, 15 minutes in the comment sent by the Minister.
Photo by Sigismund Gedvila / 15min / Marius Skuodis
The Foreign Ministry also said that the European Council’s commitment on European money guarantees the necessary but delicate balance between the interests of all states and the EU and must be respected.
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