BBC - Democracy Live - Multi-annual financial framework debate Live coverage of MEPs debating the EU's long-term budget. The seven year budgetary plan, known as the is due to run from 2014-2020 and sets the framework for the annual budgets of the EU. The debate comes ahead of a specially convened summit of EU leaders to try to negotiate a final agreement on the MFF, which has been set by the Commission at just over 1tn, around 1.03% of EU gross national income (GNI). The biggest items of spending, accounting for about 80% in total, are agriculture and cohesion funds - aid for Europe's poorer regions. France is especially keen to maintain agriculture spending, while cohesion is a big issue for the ex-communist countries in Eastern Europe. MEPs have called for "significant increases" in the budgets for competitiveness, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), sustainable infrastructure and research and innovation. They see those budget areas as growth-enhancing. The Parliament is also expected to call for greater use of "own resources" as a means of funding the EU, such as through an EU-wide sales tax or VAT. A system of own-resources could also mean the end of the UK's rebate, as many MEPs say the current system polarises the EU into two opposing camps - the net contributor countries and the net beneficiary countries. Useful links: Democracy Live's on the use of simultaneous interpretations, on the European Parliament's website.