BRUSSELS, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- European Union (EU) leaders concluded a two-day summit in Brussels on Friday with differences remaining over the bloc's next long-term budget, while outlining measures to ease soaring energy costs.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the latest negotiating framework for the 2028-2034 EU budget would cut spending flexibility by 50 percent compared with the current budget, leaving 99.5 percent of funds predetermined.
"This proposal puts us in a straitjacket," she said at a press conference, stressing the need for greater flexibility to respond to future crises.
European Council President Antonio Costa said leaders aimed to conclude budget negotiations by year-end, pledging to accelerate work on new EU revenue sources while keeping national contributions reasonable.
On energy, von der Leyen said the EU planned to extend its temporary state aid framework, postpone certain obligations under the Methane Regulation by one year and launch a strategic dialogue on European refining capacity.
The Commission also planned to strengthen joint energy purchasing by aggregating demand and engaging a market operator to buy energy supplies.
Von der Leyen stressed the importance of reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels through nuclear power, renewables and improved electricity grids.
"Last year, we installed 80 gigawatts of renewable capacity, but six times more capacity is still waiting to be connected," she said.
On Ukraine, Costa said EU leaders had asked the Commission to propose ways to address Kyiv's additional financing needs for 2027, following President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for another 70 billion euros (78 billion U.S. dollars). ■