The European Commission published a Communication on ‘The Road to the Next Multiannual Financial Framework’. It outlines the key policy and budgetary challenges that will shape the design of the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). This lays the groundwork for reflections on how to adapt the EU’s long-term budget to evolving needs and priorities.
With this Communication, the Commission also launches in parallel a Europe-wide campaign with a range of stakeholders, including Member States governments, regional entities, and citizens.
An EU budget at the heart of EU priorities
The European budget supports citizens, farmers, researchers, businesses, and regions across Europe and beyond. It has proven essential for improving the lives of Europeans. Together with NextGenerationEU, it helped overcome a pandemic and energy crisis, while saving millions of jobs during lockdowns and investing in the clean and digital future. The EU budget also provided unprecedented support to Ukraine and the security of Europe, in the face of Russia’s war of aggression.
The next long-term budget, which will start in 2028, needs to square the circle: the expectations from the EU to act are steadily increasing. For the EU budget to be fit for the ambitions, ensure the repayment of the borrowing for NextGenerationEU, and, at the same time, provide stable national financial contributions from Member States, the EC needs to introduce new resources. The status quo is not an option. Choices need to be made. The EU must maximize the impact of every euro it spends, focusing on EU priorities and objectives where EU action is most needed.
New challenges and expectations for EU action require reconsidering the way the EU budget works to make it fit for the future. The objective of a free, democratic, strong, secure, prosperous, and competitive Europe calls for a reformed and reinforced EU budget – simpler, more flexible, more targeted, and impactful.
The new approach for a modern EU budget should include a plan for each country with key reforms and investments, designed and implemented in partnership with national, regional, and local authorities. A European Competitiveness Fund should establish an investment capacity to support strategic sectors and critical technologies.
Also, a revamped external action financing should be more impactful, targeted, and aligned with strategic interests, contributing to a new foreign policy. The budget should also build in additional safeguards protecting the rule of law. Furthermore, the EU budget should be able to rely on modernized revenues to ensure sufficient and sustainable financing for the common priorities.
President von der Leyen said: “The next long-term budget will empower our Union’s shared vision for the future. It translates our common priorities into tangible action, which makes a difference for millions of citizens, businesses, regions, and researchers. Therefore, we invite all Europeans to have a say via public consultations, the citizens’ panel, or the engagement platform. This is an invitation to shape a modern, ambitious, and reinforced budget. Our challenges are common objectives as well: together, we are more powerful.”
