After Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia criticized the European Commission's original proposal to limit structural aid for 2014-2020 to 2.5 percent of GDP, the 2.x formula was left for negotiations, meaning that the decimal part remains a subject for discussion.
"Today, there is a figure of 2.x for those countries where growth rates over the last three years did not match the EU average. (…) These are the three Baltic states and Hungary," Kriščiūnas said at a discussion at the Seimas European Information Office.
Lithuania has strongly criticized original EC proposal, arguing it would be unfair to calculate aid based on the 2009 GDP rate as Lithuania's economy plummeted almost 15 percent. Based on the EC formula, Lithuania would receive LTL 1 billion less than in 2007-2013. Aid would be cut to Latvia, Estonia, and Hungary as well.
The finance vice-minister says that EU aid will amount to 2.9 percent of GDP, if the country manages to negotiate more aid.
"It is impossible to say today What that x part will be. It will most probably be decided during the last night of negotiations lasting until early morning. Our interest is that that x part is as high as possible. If we look at it that way, then 9 is the highest number we can get, based on our calculations (…), it would be a similar amount we get today," Kriščiūnas said.
The European Commission and EU member states are holding intense negotiations on the new financial perspective, expected to be finished only next year.
Lithuania received EUR 6.8 billion (LTL 23.5 billion) in EU aid over 2007-2013. Structural aid makes two thirds of aid received from the EU.
2012 06 20
EU aid "ceiling" for Baltic states could rise to 2.9 GDP
The amount of aid Lithuania gets from the EU can theoretically grow to 2.9 percent of GDP in the EU's new financial perspective, as compared to previously proposed 2.5 percent, the country's Vice-Minister of Finance Rolandas Kriščiū says.
Euras / AFP/„Scanpix“ nuotr.
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