The EU budget - gifting the way to a deal

This EU summit may see a deal on the bloc's next long term budget. If so, an unofficial 'gift' list will have played a small but significant role in reaching the agreement

As part of his efforts to get all 27 member states to agree how much and where money should be spent over the next seven years, EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy in November, during the last budget summit, made a series of pay promises to several governments.

The list, for the most part, puts right a percei...