BRUSSELS - The EU's famed diversity was on show on Friday (27 January) during first concrete discussions on the European Union's next long term budget, a debate that threw up as many points of view as there are member states.

Trying to start what is normally a fraught debate on a constructive note, the Danish EU presidency asked ministers to indicate whether they agreed with the budget priorities and the overall sum - a five percent increase to €1.025 billion for the 2014-2020 period - as proposed by the European Commission last June.

Even the question itself caused some grumbling. A whole series of countries asked whether it was useful to be talking about the overall sum when money for specific policies has yet to be decided.

The biggest issues concern whether the size of the budget is appropriate and, if cuts are to be made to it, which policy areas they should hit - concerns that have become more acute as countries across Europe implement austerity measures in response to the eurozone debt crisis.