Negotiations on the mid-term review of the multi-annual EU budget are at a standstill. The EU Commissioner responsible for budget issues, Johannes Hahn, told a group of international journalists in Brussels that the EU Commission was sticking to its proposal. This envisages requesting an additional €66 billion for the second half of the seven-year EU budget in order to overcome the existing challenges facing the Community. These include aid to Ukraine, expenses in connection with migration, investments to strengthen competitiveness, and higher costs for the administration and interest burden of EU bonds.