TALLINN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said Tuesday that the aim of the European Union (EU) long-term budget should be a stronger and more connected Europe.
"A better-functioning internal market would increase both the welfare of the people of Europe and the profits of companies. To achieve this goal, contributions to infrastructure projects connecting different areas of Europe, such as Rail Baltic and the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity system, are necessary," Ratas was quoted as saying in a press release after his meeting with visiting European budget commissioner Gunther Oettinger.
Expecting the size of the next EU budget to remain as large as the current one, the Estonian prime minister also emphasized cohesion policy, harmonizing the direct payment levels in the common agricultural policy, and the consistent consideration of digitalization, which are important in the new long-term EU budget.
The European Commission will submit a proposal for a multiannual EU budget framework in May next year.
The digital summit in the capital city on Sept. 29 highlighted the need to strategically invest in digital innovation in industries and services, in modern infrastructure, Ratas noted.
According to the European Commission, 100 million Europeans have never used the Internet and 45 percent of the population and 37 percent of the EU workforce have insufficient digital skills.
Meanwhile, 42 percent of the people with insufficient digital skills in the EU are unemployed, while 40 percent of EU employers have announced that they cannot find employees with required skills.
