Eastern European projects at risk in EU budget spat

Eight member states have signalled opposition to a European Commission request to increase the 2014 budget by €4.7 billion to cover late bills, primarily for infrastructure projects in eastern Europe.

The funding gap emerged after the bloc's 2014 budget was adopted, meaning it has to be paid from a "contingency margin" – a buffer which can be used in emergency cases to increase the EU's annual spending.

But in a "common statement" seen by EUobserver, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Fra...