Failure to reach EU recovery package deal not surprises PM

Prime Minister Sanna Marin on Friday said that the failure to reach to an agreement on EUR 750 billion European Union (EU) recovery package did not surprise her.

The heads of the government of EU member states on a video conference discussed the issue but failed to reach to an agreement in this regard.

She said that every country laid out their position on the proposal resulting no progress of the deal, reported National broadcaster Yle, quoting news agency STT.

"I don't think that today's discussion contained any surprising viewpoints from any country," the Prime Minister told STT, adding "Positions were similar to what we would have expected."

Marin said that Finland cleared its position that the present proposal could not be approved, if necessary changes are not brought accordingly.

As a net payer into the EU budget, Finland has been critical of the stimulus fund's structure. The commission has proposed that around 500 billion euros would be available as grants, not to be repaid, with 250 billion euros in loans, said the Yle report.

According to Finland´s view, the support package is too big. Different countries including Denmark, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands also expressed the similar opinion.

Meanwhile, European Council President Charles Michel said that the negotiation discussions will continue in Brussels in July.

“Now we shift to the next phase: negotiations. I will immediately start political negotiations with the member states. We intend to have a physical summit around mid-July and I intend to table a proposal before this meeting,” Michel wrote in a twitter post after the meeting.