Germany says EU budget plan is good beginning

The German government said the European Commission's budget proposal provided a good basis for the beginning of negotiations on the future of the EU's finances.

In a joint statement, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz noted that the proposal would "considerably increase" the financial burden on Germany.

They said that under the proposals, Germany would need to pay an average of up to 10 billion euros ($12 billion) more a year from 2021.

"We are willing to fulfill our responsibilities for strengthening the European Union but this also requires a fair burden-sharing of all member states," the pair said.

In the upcoming discussions which are likely to take months, they added that Germany will push to "sustainably strengthen the European Union's capability for action over the next seven years" and enforce a "fundamental modernization" of EU spending.

Among other priorities, Germany is looking for better protection for the EU's external borders and increased cooperation in joint defense policy.