EU leaders to make progress on long-term budget at summit - Michel

European Council president Charles Michel said he was convinced European Union leaders would make progress on the EU's new long term budget at the summit starting on Thursday despite bitter divisions between its net beneficiaries and contributors.

"The last efforts to reach a compromise are always the most difficult but I feel there is a positive willingness to continue to work, to dialogue, in order to make a decision to meet the EU's priorities for the next years," Michel told reporters before welcoming EU leaders for talks in Brussels.