EU long-term budget: MEPs want a 10% increase to support EU priorities 

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• Budgets Committee sets out Parliament’s draft negotiating position on the next EU budget 
• Calls for post-2027 budget to be 1.27% of EU GNI and to exclude debt repayment costs 
• Defence and competitiveness as new priorities, but cohesion and agriculture funding needs to be safeguarded 
• Flexibility without transparency would undermine public trust in the EU  

On Wednesday MEPs endorsed their negotiating position on the 2028-2034 EU budget, including a breakdown of the amounts they want to allocate to each EU funding programme.

The 2028-2034 EU budget (the multiannual financial framework – MFF) should be set at 1.27% of EU GNI, with debt servicing for the NextGenerationEU recovery fund (0.11% of GNI) outside the budget ceilings, according to the interim report adopted by the Budgets Committee with 26 votes, 9 against and 5 abstentions. This represents a 10% increase compared to the Commission’s July 2025 proposal, and MEPs propose to allocate this increased funding evenly across the three headings of the budget which finance EU priorities, and to ensure that the budget is protected from inflationary shocks.

MEPs say this is the minimum amount of money the EU needs to meet its commitments, respond to citizens’ expectations, and address major challenges, including large-scale warfare in Europe, economic and social challenges, a competitiveness gap and the worsening climate and biodiversity crises. They stress that the next long-term EU budget must remain an investment budget supporting EU policies, citizens, regions, businesses and SMEs, while securing EU added value compared to national spending.

While the report does not alter the MFF structure proposed by the Commission, MEPs strongly oppose the re-nationalisation of the EU budget, rejecting an “à la carte” EU and warning the Commission’s “one plan per member state” approach could undermine EU policies, reduce transparency, and create competition between beneficiaries.

Distinct and more funding for key programmes

MEPs want strong and adequately funded policies, with distinct allocations for policies under the National and Regional Partnership Plans, including the Common Agricultural Policy and Fisheries Policy, including for outermost regions, the Cohesion Policy, the European Social Fund and Home Affairs. MEPs also stress that regional and local authorities should be fully involved in planning and implementing the programmes.

MEPs welcome the Commission’s proposal to double funding to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness, defence capacity, innovation, the digital and green transitions, infrastructure, health, education and culture. They call for greater support for key programmes such as the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), Horizon Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility, Erasmus+, AgoraEU and the civil protection mechanism, along with dedicated funding for EU4Health actions as well as LIFE-related actions under the ECF.

While they support increasing the resources for external action, MEPs say the proposed amount is still insufficient and call for stronger funding for enlargement, development, support to Ukraine, multilateral cooperation and humanitarian aid.

Transparency and accountability under threat

MEPs warn against moving key policy choices to Commission work programmes without Parliament’s involvement, stressing that simplification must not undermine transparency, accountability or democratic oversight. They also raise concerns about widespread financing not linked to costs, which could make proper auditing more difficult. While recognising the need for flexibility, they caution that flexibility without transparency could undermine public trust in the EU. The report also emphasises that respect for EU values and the rule of law is a prerequisite for accessing EU funds, while avoiding penalising final recipients following breaches of the rule of law by their governments.

Revenue side

MEPs reaffirm Parliament’s strong commitment to introducing new so-called “own resources” to repay NextGenerationEU debt and finance the EU budget. They support the Commission’s proposed “basket approach” for new revenue sources, and stress they must be adopted together with the next MFF and generate around €60 billion annually. MEPs urge member states to quickly reach an agreement on these new revenue sources and stress that if some proposals are dropped from the list, alternative ones should be introduced instead. Such possible alternatives include a digital services levy, an online gambling levy, an extension of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), or a levy on crypto-asset capital gains.

Proposed top-ups (in current prices, list not exhaustive):

• Overall MFF size: +197.30bn
• Common Agriculture Policy (CAP): +139.31bn
• Structural and cohesion funds: +78.87bn
• European Social Fund (ESF): +124.19bn
• Asylum and migration policies, border management and security: +3.82bn
• European Competitiveness Fund (ECF): +30.05bn
• Horizon Europe: +25bn
• Connecting Europe Facility (CEF): +9.86bn
• EU Civil Protection Mechanism and health preparedness (UCPM+): +1.74bn
• Erasmus+: +6.56bn
• AgoraEU: +2.14bn
• Global Europe programme: +24.06bn

For detailed figures, check the Annex of the interim report.

Quotes

“We propose a European budget that is both sufficient and predictable for beneficiaries, addressing the shortcomings of the Commission’s initial proposal. Through a moderate 10% increase, we ensure adequate resources for new priorities such as defence and competitiveness, while fully preserving key policies like agriculture and cohesion. We call for reinforced, dedicated funding for farmers and regions, firmly rejecting any attempt to merge or dilute these core priorities. At the same time, NextGenerationEU debt must be repaid above the budget ceilings, not at the expense of farmers, SMEs, researchers or Erasmus students,” said Siegfried Mureşan (EPP, RO), co-rapporteur.

“Common agricultural policy, cohesion funds, the European Social Fund – these are not relics of the past. They are the backbone of European solidarity. New challenges cannot erase responsibilities. We want a budget that works for regions, beneficiaries and for people. Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, civil protection – these programmes do not merely serve today’s needs; they shape Europe’s future. But ambition without resources is empty. We need new, genuine own resources, to fund Europe’s enhanced responsibilities,” Carla Tavares (S&D, PT), co-rapporteur said.

Next steps

Once confirmed by plenary (vote planned for 29 April), Parliament will be ready to start negotiations with the Council on the regulation setting the structure and main figures of the 2028-2034 budget. Talks can begin once the Council agrees on a common position. As the MFF regulation requires Parliament’s consent to be approved, member states are expected to take MEPs’ requests into account.

Background

Parliament set out its priorities for the post-2027 EU budget in May 2025. The European Commission presented its proposal for next long-term EU budget in July 2025, which leading MEPs said amounts to a real-terms investment freeze while also covering repayment of NextGenerationEU borrowing. The EU’s long-term budget is almost entirely an investment in European businesses, farmers, regions, and civil society, and only around 6% covers administration costs.