COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A dynamic EU Budget for the priorities of the future - The Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034
Date: 2025-07-16
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU budget, EU expenditure, budgetary procedure, budgetary resources, commitment of expenditure, financial management, financing of the EU budget, multiannual financial framework

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 16.7.2025  COM(2025) 570 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A dynamic EU Budget for the priorities of the future - The Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 {SWD(2025) 570 final} - {SWD(2025) 571 final}  
 
 
1.  INTRODUCTION  

The 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework will be much more than just a financial 
plan. It will be a strategic statement of the Union’s collective political ambition to deliver on 
its priorities and to act with strength and unity on the global stage over the next decade. The 
EU budget is the Union’s engine, which has time and again shown its transformative impact 
as a driver of investment and growth, and a powerful expression of European solidarity. In the 
past five years alone, the EU budget helped to save lives and livelihoods during the pandemic, 
allowed the Union to overcome energy and supply chain crises, and underpinned the Union’s 
unwavering support for Ukraine.  

It is time to build a more independent Europe, because the Union cannot rely solely on 
others  to  ensure  its  long-term  security  and  prosperity.  Russia’s  war  of  aggression  at  the 
Union’s  borders,  wider  geopolitical  instability,  and  disruption  to  global  trade  relations  have 
been  a  dramatic  wake-up  call  for  Europe.  They  have  forced  us  to  reappraise  our  strategic 
priorities  and  to  take  urgent  action  to  reduce  dependencies  and  tackle  vulnerabilities  to  a 
multitude of threats to our security and way of life. This has necessitated a renewed focus on 
competitiveness,  security,  defence,  migration,  food  security,  strategic  autonomy  and  our 
preparations  for  future  enlargement  of  the  Union.  It  has  deepened  our  commitment  to  the 
principles and values that unite Europe and make the Union a beacon of stability and progress 
in a turbulent world. 

Taking  our  common  future  into  our  hands  means  equipping  the  Union  with  an 
ambitious  budget  in  size  and  design.  To  create  opportunities  for  current  and  future 
generations of Europeans and help those in need. To defend our strategic interests and values. 
To build on the potential of the single market and harness new technologies to drive growth 
and  innovation.  To  achieve  our  climate  goals  and  support  businesses,  especially  small 
businesses,  and  citizens  in  the  transition  to  a  zero-emission  economy.  To  protect  our 
environment,  preserve  our  natural  resources,  promote  circularity,  and  strengthen  Europe’s 
competitiveness  and  resilience,  including  water  resilience.  To  guarantee  our  collective 
security,  restore  Europe’s  competitive  edge,  reinforce  economic,  social  and  territorial 
cohesion,  and  manage  the  consequences  of  demographic  trends.  To  strengthen  the  EU’s 
external borders, manage migration and ensure the well-functioning of the Schengen area. To 
seize  the  historic  opportunity  of  enlargement  to  further  strengthen  the  Union. And  to  build 
strategic  global  partnerships  that  make  the  Union  a  strong  and  reliable  player  on  the  world 
stage, firmly anchored in the principles of rules-based international trade. 

Europe must now do things differently – and the EU budget is no exception. At a time of 
heightened geopolitical and economic uncertainty, there are huge expectations on the Union to 
find answers to a series of generational challenges. The demands are greater than ever and the 
size of the EU budget must be commensurate with the Union’s growing responsibilities. Yet 
resources  are  limited.  National  budgets  are  under  strain  and  cannot  tackle  cross-border 
challenges alone. The joint borrowing supporting NextGenerationEU will require repayment 
in  the  coming  years. This  means  we  must  make  full  use  of  every  euro  in  the  EU  budget  to 
invest in areas where EU value added is greatest and to attract private and public investment. 

The  Union  needs  a  more  ambitious  budget  that  is  simpler,  more  flexible  and  more 
strategic. And above all, the EU budget must deliver. That is the overwhelming message 
from  the  Commission’s  broad  public  consultations  on  the  future  multiannual  financial 

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framework1,  the  recommendations  of  a  dedicated  European  Citizens’  Panel2,  and  extensive 
outreach  at  the  European,  national,  regional  and  local  levels.  It  is  now  time  to  put  these 
lessons into practice and equip the Union with a modern budget for a fast-changing world. 

Experience shows that flexibility is crucial. The multiannual financial framework provides 
the stability and predictability that make the EU budget such a powerful driver of long-term 
investment.  But  in  an  uncertain  and  volatile  world,  the  EU  budget  must  also  have  a  much 
stronger structural capacity to adapt  to  the unexpected. Too often the  budgetary  response to 
crises and evolving needs has been ad hoc and improvised. This is not a sound basis for long-
term policy. That is why the Commission is proposing  a more agile budget, better equipped 
for both the known – and the unknowns. The role of the European Parliament and Council in 
steering the budget will ensure a high level of political oversight, transparency and democratic 
accountability at all times. 

The Commission is engaged in an unprecedented effort to make Europe simpler – and 
this must include the EU budget. The public consultations have confirmed that EU financial 
programmes have grown too fragmented, with overlaps, gaps and diverging rules. This creates 
confusion  and  reduces  accessibility,  flexibility  and  impact.  The  Commission  proposes  to 
streamline and harmonise the EU’s financial programmes, making it  much easier to identify 
funding  opportunities,  unlocking  synergies,  and  creating  a  lean,  transparent  and  coherent 
budget at the service of all Europeans. 

The  next  long-term  EU  budget  is  an  opportunity  to  reaffirm  Europe’s  commitment  to 
our common goals and values. The Commission’s proposals are designed to ensure that EU 
investment is steered by our political priorities, delivering better results than Member States 
acting alone. They are rooted in respect for the rule of law and reflect a deep commitment to 
ensuring that EU money is well spent and adheres to the highest standards of sound financial 
management. 

The  Commission  is  proposing  an  ambitious  budget  of  EUR  1.98  trillion  for  the  2028-
2034 period, equivalent to 1.26% of EU GNI. The Union can only live up to its ambitions if 
it has a budget to match. This budget will allow the Union to build on the momentum created 
by  NextGenerationEU  and  deliver  on  the  tasks  and  responsibilities  with  which  it  has  been 
entrusted.  

Modernising the financing of the EU budget is an essential part of this package and will 
allow for stable national contributions despite the increase in the size of the budget. An 
ambitious  budget  focused  on  European  priorities  should  be  based  on  a  more  modern  and 
European system of revenues. To this end, the Commission proposes an enhanced new own 
resources  package,  which  includes  adjustments  to  the  2023  proposal  on  new  own  resources 
and additional candidates. The revenue it generates will allow for an EU budget in line with 
ambitions while meeting the Union’s obligations to repay NextGenerationEU borrowing.  

The 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework is a unique opportunity to revamp our 
long-term budget for a world of constant change. The EU budget and the common policies 
it supports are part of the fabric of our Union. The fundamental principles and objectives that 
have shaped the EU budget since its inception will not change. But the challenges facing the 

1 EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – implementing EU funding with Member States and regions 
2 European Citizens' Panel on the new European budget - European Commission 

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Union  are  such  that  standing  still  is  not  an  option.  By  making  the  EU  budget  and  its 
programmes  simpler,  more flexible and  strategically attuned to  the priorities of today  –  and 
tomorrow – we will give the Union the modern budget it needs to protect European citizens, 
help European businesses thrive and to strengthen Europe’s social model. And to encourage 
citizens, researchers and businesses from the EU and beyond to Choose Europe. 

In short, to build an independent Europe capable of shaping its own destiny. 

2.  THE EU BUDGET: EU PRIORITIES INTO ACTION 

The  new  EU  budget  will  be  a  policy-based  budget.  The  next  generation  of  EU  financial 
programmes  must  form  a  coherent  whole,  working  together  to  lift  European  cooperation  to 
the  next  level  in  priority  areas  such  as  competitiveness,  security,  decarbonisation, 
sustainability, and economic, social and territorial cohesion. The programmes of the revamped 
EU budget are designed to be complementary, allowing resources to be combined in support 
of European priorities, both within the Union and worldwide. 

I. 

Driving  prosperity,  sustainability  and  security  –  tailored  investments  and 
reforms through national and regional partnership plans 

National  and regional  partnership plans will combine EU funds implemented by Member 
States  and  regions  into  a  coherent,  tailored  planning  process  –  fully  aligned  with  the 
Union’s  common  priorities.  They  will  maximise  the  impact  of  every  euro,  provide  more 
flexibility to  adapt  to  regional  and  local needs,  and  simplify  rules for Member States  and 
regions.  

The new national and regional partnership plans for investment and reforms will build 
on the remarkable track record of Europe’s common policies – and make them stronger 

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and more impactful. The partnerships will increase the synergies among current policies in 
support of European priorities, reinforcing economic, social and territorial cohesion. And they 
will boost EU action to remove internal market barriers. With an envelope of EUR 865 billion 
(including  EUR  50  billion  from  the  Social  Climate  Fund),  the  plans  will  ensure  continued 
support for Europe’s common policies with a modernised approach.  

The envelope of the National and Regional Partnership Plans 2028-2034 

The  partnership  plans  will  be  anchored  in  European  priorities  but  tailored  to  the 
specific needs of Member States and regions. The plans will respond to the main priorities 
and challenges identified, including through the European Semester. They will be owned and 
designed in partnership with national and regional authorities. The new delivery system will 
accommodate  the  diversity  of  the  Member  States,  offering  them  flexibility  to  develop 
national, sectoral and, where relevant, regional and territorial chapters, as under current rules, 
depending on each Member State’s constitutional structures and traditions. They will provide 
targeted support across EU policies to urgent needs, such as the challenges faced by  Eastern 
border  regions most  affected by Russia’s  war of  aggression  against Ukraine.  In general, the 
partnerships  will  be  less  prescriptive  on  how  to  achieve  common  objectives,  but  more 
demanding on what to achieve, ensuring full respect for the principle of subsidiarity.  

The  national  and  regional  partnership  plans  will  bring  together  14  existing  funds  and 
ensure  coherence and joint  programming  between  those,  while  respecting their specificities. 
This will streamline complex programming processes, cut lengthy validation procedures and 
create new opportunities for synergies.  

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➢  Agriculture  and  rural  areas  remain  a  priority,  strengthening  the  EU’s  strategic 
autonomy, food security and sustainability. The partnerships are an opportunity for the 
Common  Agricultural  Policy  to  evolve  towards  a  simpler,  more  targeted  and  more 
impactful policy framework, to find the right balance between incentives, investments and 
rules.  Farmers  will  continue  to  have  predictability  and  stability  on  their  income  support 
from  the  EU  budget  while  enjoying  additional  possibilities  for  investments  and  joint 
actions for rural areas. Member States will be able to achieve synergies to better address 
the challenges faced by farmers and rural communities, creating opportunities for young 
farmers  and  promoting  generational  renewal,  while  ensuring  food  security  in  the  long 
term. The EU will step up its promotion of EU agricultural products to create new market 
opportunities. And  faced  with  mounting  uncertainty  in  agricultural  markets,  the  EU  will 
protect  farmers  and  stabilise  markets  in  times  of  market  disturbances  through  the  Unity 
Safety Net. 

➢  Cohesion  policy  will  be  strengthened  and  modernised,  with  regions  at  its  core,  and 
will continue to uphold its fundamental principles of partnership, multi-level governance, 
and place-based action. It will work in synergy with the other policies, profit from higher 
impact  due  to  targeted  investments  and  reforms  while  continuing  to  promote  a  more 
cohesive Europe, ensuring that all Europeans, regardless of where they live, have access 
to economic opportunities and a higher quality of life. It will help less developed regions 
to catch up and just transition regions to ensure that no one is left behind. It will pay close 
attention to the outermost regions, recognising their unique challenges and potential. 

➢  Europe  is  only  as  strong  as  its  citizens  are  empowered  –  and  therefore  supporting 
people and Europe’s social model will be at the heart of the plans. A social target of 
14%  will  apply  to  National  and  Regional  Partnership  Plans  to  steer  significant 
investments  towards  the  implementation  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights, 
supporting  quality  employment,  skills,  social  inclusion  and  housing  across  all  Member 
States, regions and sectors.  

➢  The  partnerships  will  ensure  that  the  EU’s  support  to  migration,  border 
management  and  security  challenges  is  tailored  to  the  needs  of  each  Member  State 
and  its  regions.  The  link  between  reforms  and  investments  will  give  Member  States 
stronger incentives to implement the Pact on Migration and Asylum and the EU’s Internal 
Security  Strategy.  The  EU  Facility  will  ensure  a  flexible,  common  EU  response  to 
pressing needs and new challenges. 

➢  Fisheries  will  remain  the  lifeblood  of  our  coastal  communities  and  economies.  The 
partnerships  will  build  a  closer  link  between  the  EU’s  fisheries  and  ocean-based  policy, 
cohesion,  and  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy,  to  provide  stronger  support  for  our 
fishermen  and  women,  while  helping  stimulate  economic  activities  such  as  aquaculture, 
tourism and shipping, creating jobs and improving livelihoods in coastal regions.  

The national and regional partnership plans, in tandem with other EU programmes, will 
help  the  Union  stay  the  course  on  our  commitment  to  decarbonise  Europe  by  2050. 
Investments and reforms supported by the plan will spur innovation, increase resilience to the 
impacts  of  climate  change,  improve  connectivity  and  help  Europe  become  more  energy 
independent. They will support businesses and citizens in all parts of the Union in navigating 
the challenges and opportunities of the transition to a clean economy, ensuring that no-one is 
left behind.  

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Financing for migration and border management in the 2028-2034 budget 

Results-based  delivery  and  the  combination  of  mutually  reinforcing  investments  and 
reforms will bring more impact and value for money. Payments will be conditional upon 
the fulfilment of investment and reform milestones and targets linked to agreed priorities. This 
is expected to deliver funding and results faster and more efficiently. This will put the focus 
where it should be: on the results of EU spending. Robust audit and control arrangements will 
ensure that the partnership plans are implemented in accordance with the highest standards of 
sound financial management.  

The  principles  of  the  rule  of  law  and  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  are  non-
negotiable. The rule of law Conditionality Regulation3 will continue to apply to the whole of 
the EU budget (see Section 5). The national and regional partnership plans will strengthen the 
link between the recommendations in the Rule of Law Report and financial support.  In case 
funds are lost for a Member State due to persisting breaches of the Rule of Law or Charter of 
Fundamental  Rights,  they  will  be  available  for  use  in  programmes  in  direct  or  indirect 
management, in particular those contributing to supporting Europe’s democracy, civil society, 
Union values or the fight against corruption. 

An  EU  Facility  will  support  implementation  at  national  and  regional  level.  The  facility 
will  support  actions  that  can  be  delivered  more  efficiently  at  Union  level,  complementing 
projects  implemented  by  Member  States  and  regions.  This  includes  implementing  the 
exclusive  competences  of  the  Union  in  areas  such  as  the  conservation  of  marine  biological 

3 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on 
a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget.  

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resources  under  the  common  fisheries  policy,  supporting  ocean  policy,  promoting  social 
actions  and  investments  in  social  infrastructure  and  social  economy  at  EU  level,  including 
through  the  use  of  guarantee  instruments,  and  promoting  inter-regional  or  inter-city 
cooperation.  The  facility  will  help  to  respond  to  natural  and  man-made  disasters,  building 
synergies  with  other  policy  areas  covered  under  the  partnerships,  such  as  agriculture.  An 
unallocated cushion will provide the possibility to further respond to unexpected events and 
disasters  in  Member  States,  should  other  flexibilities  within  the  national  and  regional 
allocations not be sufficient. 

The  EU  will  also  continue  to  provide  strong  support  to  the  Turkish-Cypriot  Community 
through a dedicated instrument. 

II. 

Boosting European competitiveness: the European Competitiveness Fund and 
Horizon Europe  

(*) Collaborative R&I consistent with activities in the Competitiveness Fund 

The new European Competitiveness  Fund,  working  in synergy  with  Horizon Europe, will 
provide seamless support to European innovators from research to deployment, from ideas 
to  start-up  to  scale-up.  It  will  power  the  implementation  of  the  Competitiveness  Compass 
and  help the Union  build a competitive edge in strategic  sectors, including by facilitating 
multi-country and cross-border projects with high EU value added. In this way, it will drive 
prosperity and the creation of high-quality jobs. 

The  next  EU  long-term  budget  must  deliver  a  step  change  in  European  support  for 
competitiveness.  Europe  is  the  cradle  of  innovation,  of  scientific  progress  and  of 
entrepreneurship, with a world-class industrial footprint. However, Europe’s competitiveness 
and  economic  security  is  hindered  by  barriers  to  the  single  market,  fragmented  capital 
markets, insufficient digitalisation, unfair international competition, high energy prices, skills 
and labour shortages, weak translation of research into marketable outcomes, and obstacles to 
bringing projects and funding together.  

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Europe  must  do  much  better  at  creating  the  conditions  for  its  best  projects  and 
companies to thrive and scale up, as highlighted in the Draghi4 and Letta5 reports and in the 
Competitiveness  Compass6.  As  set  out  in  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal,  it  will  be  essential  to 
combine decarbonisation and economic growth, through affordable energy prices, support for 
EU-made  clean  products  (via  the  Industrial  Decarbonisation  Accelerator  Act),  high-quality 
jobs  and  reinforced  financing,  including  through  the  industrial  decarbonisation  bank. 
Strengthening Europe’s economic security must also be a core objective — ensuring that key 
sectors  remain  resilient  and  competitive  in  the  face  of  geopolitical  and  technological  shifts. 
The  EU  must  also  prioritise  investments  in  frontier  technologies  that  hold  the  key  to  the 
future, such as space, artificial intelligence, and quantum. To remain competitive, autonomous 
and secure, Europe needs to build world-class and secure digital infrastructure, such as high-
capacity networks and AI gigafactories.  

The European Competitiveness Fund, with a total envelope of EUR 409 billion including 
Horizon Europe, will provide an unprecedented boost in EU budget support to research, 
innovation, development and deployment.7  

The  new  European  Competitiveness  Fund  will  draw  together  investment  firepower  at 
EU  level  to  accelerate  the  scaling-up,  manufacturing  and  deployment  of  strategic 
technologies in Europe. It will become a key tool to bolster the competitiveness of European 
companies and strengthen the EU’s industrial base, including by supporting ‘made in Europe’ 
technologies,  products  and  services.  Replacing  the  current  patchwork  of  overlapping 
programmes, the fund, operating under a single rulebook, will greatly simplify and accelerate 
EU funding, including for small businesses. It will allow the EU to invest where it matters – 
and  to  invest  with  impact.  The  fund  will  feature  simplified  and  fast-tracked  selection, 
evaluation  and  award  procedures,  and  will  provide  simplified  reporting  requirements  for 
recipients of EU funding, bringing funding faster to project promoters.  

Following  the  recommendation  of  the  Draghi  report,  the  European  Competitiveness 
Fund  will  focus  on  EU  public  goods.  The  fund  will  support  areas  critical  for  EU 
competitiveness:  clean  transition  and  decarbonisation;  digital  leadership;  resilience  and 
security, defence industry and space; and health, biotech, agriculture and bioeconomy. It will 
also offer advisory services for project promoters.  

Public  investment  at  European  level  has  a  vital  role  to  play  as  a  catalyst  for  private 
investment. The European Competitiveness Fund will offer a comprehensive funding toolkit 
for crowding in private investment. This will allow each selected project to access the most 
appropriate  form  of  support,  be  that  grants  or  loans,  procurement,  or  financial  instruments 
including  equity  investments.  Crucially,  the  proven  firepower  of  InvestEU  will  leverage 
public and private investment towards EU priority sectors, working in close cooperation with 
its  implementing  partners  –  the  European  Investment  Bank  and  other  national  promotional 
banks. The Fund will also support public-private partnerships including Important Projects of 
Common European Interest.  

4 Draghi, M. (2024) “A competitiveness strategy for Europe”. 
5 Letta, E. (2024) ”More than a market”. 
6  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  Council,  the  Council,  the 
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, A Competitiveness Compass for 
the EU, COM(2025)30 final.  
7  With  the  addition  of  support  provided  by  the  Innovation  Fund,  the  European  Competitiveness  Fund  and 
Horizon Europe together amount to EUR 450.8 billion.  

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The  world-renowned  Horizon  Europe  programme  for  research  and  innovation  will 
continue to invest in groundbreaking fundamental and collaborative research as well as 
disruptive  innovation  in  strategic  areas.  It  will  operate  as  a  self-standing  programme 
closely  connected  to  the  European  Competitiveness  Fund  through  integrated  work 
programmes  for  collaborative  research  and  a  common  rulebook.  The  new  Horizon  Europe 
will  be  simplified  and  reinforced,  enabling  faster  and  more  strategic  EU  spending  through 
clearer rules and more transparent procedures for applicants and stakeholders. It will support 
cross-sectoral fundamental research actions, relying on its well-established excellence-driven 
approach  and  preparing  the  future  engines  of  growth  and  technological  leadership.  Horizon 
Europe  will  be  built  around  four  pillars:  Excellent  Science,  Competitiveness  and  Society, 
Innovation  and  the  European  Research Area. An  expanded  European  Research  Council  will 
promote fundamental  science  and  the European Innovation Council will be  reinforced in  its 
support to start-ups. The Euratom research and training programme will fund nuclear research 
and training and contribute to the ITER fusion project. 

III.  Building a European Defence Union 

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The new long-term EU budget will take the European Defence Union to the next level, an 
urgent  priority  at  a  time  of  rising  threats  and  uncertainty.  Funding  from  the  European 
Competitiveness  Fund,  national  and  regional  partnership  plans,  the  Connecting  Europe 
Facility  and  external  funding  in  combination  will  bring  unprecedented  European  added 
value to national defence spending. 

The future EU budget must give new impetus to the creation of a true European Defence 
Union. As Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine brought war back to European soil, the 
Union’s capacity to finance defence readiness was reinforced under the current EU long-term 
budget. This included the new Act in Support of Ammunition Production and Instrument for 
Common Defence Procurement, as well as the reinforcement of the European Peace Facility.  

The White Paper on European Defence – Readiness 2030 has set out what the Union can 
do to support and coordinate Member States’ efforts to strengthen the defence industrial 
base  and  the  EU’s  overall  defence  readiness. Within  this  framework,  Member  States  will 
have further budgetary leeway to increase defence expenditure, including through additional 
loans financed by common borrowing (the Security Action for Europe8 instrument). But this 
is not enough. The next budget must usher in a new era of strategic investment in European 
defence  capabilities  and  readiness,  including  the  joint  development  of  European  critical 
defence capabilities. Responding to the challenges faced by Member States most exposed to 
conventional  military  threats  will  be  a  particular  priority,  through  joint  projects  such  as  the 
Eastern Border Shield. 

The  European  Competitiveness  Fund  will  provide  significant  support  to  investment  in 
defence,  security  and  space. The  Commission  proposes  to  increase  financing  substantially 
compared  to  the  current  financial  framework.  It  is  also  a  leap  forward  in  the  approach,  by 
providing support along the investment journey from research to development, manufacturing 
and  deployment  within  a  single  instrument,  and  contributing  to  de-risking  common  defence 
projects.  This  will  reinforce  coordination  through  support  for  dual-use  applications  and 
cybersecurity. The EU will continue to upgrade its space systems, notably Galileo, EGNOS, 
Copernicus and IRIS², while developing new capacities to meet dual use challenges, including 

8  Council  Regulation  (EU)  2025/1106  of  27  May  2025  establishing  the  Security  Action  for  Europe  (SAFE) 
through the Reinforcement of the European Defence Industry Instrument. 

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an  Earth  observation  governmental  service  and  low  Earth  orbit  positioning,  navigation  and 
timing. 

The  integration  of  defence  and  space  financing  within  the  European  Competitiveness 
Fund brings several benefits. First, it ensures consistent rules for beneficiaries, facilitating 
access  to  funding. Second,  it exploits  the synergies between support to  the defence industry 
and  the  space  industry,  as  these  present  opportunities  for  cross-fertilisation,  while  ensuring 
continued  and  strong  support  for  EU  investment  in  space  infrastructure  and  key  European 
space  assets. Third, it provides access  to  the full set  of financial  tools that will be available 
under the European Competitiveness Fund, to provide a more tailored approach. 

Member States and regions will also be able to support investments and reforms in the 
area  of  Union  defence  capabilities  and  security  projects  via  their  funding  under  the 
national and regional partnership plans, consistent with EU priorities and in synergy with 
EU-level  funding.  Such  measures  will  contribute  to  the  competitiveness  of  the  European 
defence,  security  and  technological  industrial  base  and  to  supporting  the  Union’s 
preparedness,  threat  detection  and  crisis  response,  including  by  strengthening  cybersecurity 
and  ensuring  the  resilience  of  critical  infrastructure.  Member  States  will  also  be  able  to 
finance the national parts of trans-European Transport Networks, national energy transmission 
and distribution networks and Important Projects of Common European Interest (including in 
defence) under the national and regional partnership plans.   

Russia’s  war  of  aggression  against  Ukraine  highlighted  the  importance  of  investing  in 
military  mobility,  to  make  sure  that  Member  State  forces  can  respond  quickly  and  with 
sufficient  scale  to  crises  erupting  at  the  EU’s  external  borders  and  beyond.  A  reinforced 
Connecting Europe Facility will therefore increase its focus on military mobility corridors and 
maximise  the  synergies  with  other  investments  in  the  transport  network.  Investments  will 

11 

 
 
 
support  the  transport  of  troops  and  equipment  via  railways,  roads,  airports,  maritime  ports, 
inland waterways and multimodal terminals.  

The  European  Peace  Facility  will  continue  to  operate  as  an  off-budget  instrument, 
contributing  to  the  Union’s  efforts  to  preserve  peace,  prevent  conflicts  and  strengthen 
international  security.  The  Facility  will  finance  actions  decided  by  the  Council  under  two 
pillars:  the  common  costs  of  military  operations  and  missions  and  assistance  measures.9  In 
view  of  the  fast-changing  geopolitical  environment,  the  Facility  should  be  able  to  continue 
supporting  partners  globally  over  the  timeline  of  the  next  financial  framework,  including 
Ukraine and reinforced to EUR 30.5 billion. 

IV. 

Strengthening the European single market  

The  single  market  is  one  of  the  Union’s  defining  achievements.  Yet  the  recent  Single 
Market  Strategy10  showed  once  again  that  the  single  market  is  far  from  complete.  The 
added  value  of  investment  from  the  EU  budget  is  greatest  when  it  helps  to  break  down 
barriers and create connections. The new EU budget is designed with this in mind. 

The EU budget has always underpinned the widening and deepening of Europe’s single 
market. It does this through common policies such as cohesion and the common agricultural 
policy. It also does so via investments in the physical infrastructure that makes trans-European 
networks a reality, and administrative infrastructure investments that create the conditions for 
the single market to succeed.  

9 In accordance with Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509. 
10 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and 
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - The Single Market: our European home market in an 
uncertain world, COM(2025)500 

12 

 
 
  
 
 
The  new  Connecting  Europe  Facility  will  finance  the  completion  of  Trans-European 
Networks  and foster the EU’s  clean  transition in energy and transport.  Russia’s  war of 
aggression  against  Ukraine  and  the  need  to  decouple  from  Russian  fossil  fuels  have 
underlined  the  vital  importance  of  a  genuine  Energy  Union  and  well-integrated  EU 
infrastructure  networks.  However,  progress  on  key  infrastructure  such  as  cross-border  rail 
connections and interconnectors has been too slow. The Facility will give a renewed impulse 
to  these  essential  investments  in  Europe’s  resilience  and  security,  including  by  supporting 
projects in the least connected parts of the Union, such as islands and the outermost regions. It 
will  invest  in  cross-border  interconnectors  and  grids,  cross-border  transport  connections, 
offshore networks, renewable energy sources and storage and alternative fuels infrastructure, 
supporting  the  Union’s  climate  ambitions.  The  Facility  will  fund  dual-use  civilian-military 
transport projects to enable seamless military mobility throughout the EU, a prerequisite for 
a stronger and better prepared European Defence Union.  

The new Single Market Programme will pool measures supported by the EU budget to 
break  down  cross-border  and  cross-country  barriers  and  foster  cooperation  between 
national  administrations. It will  contribute to  enforcement  of EU single market  legislation 
and  of  competition  policy,  standardisation  measures,  consumer  protection  and  cooperation 
between statistical authorities on high-quality statistics to underpin the design, monitoring and 
evaluation of all Union policies. Moreover, it will remove the remaining fragmentation in EU 
funding  in  this  area  to  support  cooperation  among  national  administrations  and  reduce 
administrative burden in the areas of customs, taxation and anti-fraud, all of which are crucial 
to the efficient functioning of the single market. It will also contribute to the implementation 
of the EU customs reform once adopted and of the Savings and Investments Union. 

13 

 
 
 
V. 

A strong Europe in an uncertain world: the Global Europe instrument 

Global Europe will channel EU funds more strategically to key priorities, tailoring support 
to the needs of Europe’s partners and the Union’s interests, and adapting flexibly as local, 
regional,  and  global  conditions  evolve.  It  will  provide  strong  support  for  candidate 
countries  on  their  European  path  and  promote  stability  in  the  Union’s  immediate 
neighbourhood. Global Europe will continue the Union’s unwavering support for Ukraine 
and underpin the Union’s response to challenges such as conflicts in the Middle East and 
their aftermath. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
The global  political  and economic landscape is  increasingly  volatile and unpredictable. 
There are ongoing and emerging conflicts, unfair competition, and a more assertive economic 
and  geopolitical  stance  by  international  actors.  Other  factors  such  as  climate  change, 
migration pressures, and security threats continue to pose significant challenges to the EU and 
its partners across the globe. 

Against  this  backdrop,  the  EU  must  redesign  and  strengthen  its  external  action 
financing in the next financial framework. EU external action needs to be better targeted to 
our partners and address urgent needs on the ground. It should support the Union’s strategic 
interests on the global stage by channelling funds towards key political priorities and adapting 
flexibly to evolving circumstances. A reinforced EUR 200 billion Global  Europe instrument 
will be the basis for this action. Out of this amount, an indicative EUR 25 billion should be 
dedicated to Humanitarian Aid. 

The  new  Global  Europe  will  optimise,  consolidate,  and  streamline  EU  external  action 
financing  under  the  next  long-term  budget.  Each  macro-region  will  have  an  indicative 
financial allocation to ensure predictability for  the Union’s partners, coupled with flexibility 
to reallocate funds between envelopes and mobilise an overall unallocated reserve to address 
emerging needs and new priorities. Global Europe will also contain a global pillar for actions 
that are inherently global in reach, for example financing for initiatives through international 
organisations like the United Nations. and on issues such as counterterrorism, global health, 

15 

 
 
 
cybersecurity,  Foreign  Information,  Manipulation  and  Interference  and  international  climate 
and ocean governance. 

All  external  action  policy  tools  will  be  available  to  target  EU  support  to  each  macro-
region.  Global  Europe  will  include  multiannual  cooperation  programmes  with  partners  as 
well  as  actions  that  are  non-programmable  in  nature,  such  as  humanitarian  aid11  and  crisis, 
peace  and  foreign  policy  needs.  In  addition,  it  will  provide  assistance  based  on  policy 
conditions,  including  reforms  and investments. Global  Europe  will  enable the EU to  deploy 
the right combination of policy tools designed to respond most effectively to evolving foreign 
policy objectives and the specific needs of EU partners.  

The  EU  will  offer  comprehensive  mutually  beneficial  partnership  packages  to  achieve 
more  effective  and  targeted  external  action  financing.  The  partnership  packages  will  be 
tailor-made for partners or regions, mobilising the appropriate set of policy tools to maximise 
EU  impact  on  the  ground,  address  EU  strategic  interests,  and  improve  visibility  and 
understanding  of  EU  external  action. It  will  advance  a  new  European  Economic  Foreign 
Policy,  strengthening  the  alignment  with  EU  internal  priorities,  such  as  economic  security, 
trade  and  competitiveness,  energy  security  and  decarbonisation,  food  security,  migration 
management, transport connections, climate and environmental protection, renewable energy 
production, connectivity offered by trusted vendors, and access to critical raw materials.  

Enlargement  is  a  political  and  geostrategic  imperative.  Twenty  years  after  the  biggest 
enlargement  in  EU  history,  enlargement  continues  to  be  a  key  investment  in  long-term 
security,  peace,  stability  and  sustainable  prosperity  in  Europe.  Russia’s  war  of  aggression 
against Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of European integration and the need for a 
larger  and  stronger  Union  to  address  global  challenges.  The  Union  is  deeply  committed  to 
working  with  candidate  countries  and  potential  candidates  to  prepare  for  accession,  in  full 
respect  of  the  merit-based  process  and  with  the  firm  conviction  that  their  future  lies  in  the 
European Union. Global Europe will provide essential financial and policy-based support to 
help candidate countries and potential candidates progress along this path. 

The EU will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. From support in the accession process 
to  longer-term  reconstruction,  the  EU  will  be  there  for  Ukraine.  This  support  will  include 
loans  financed  via  common  EU  borrowing  backed  by  the  headroom  of  the  EU  budget. 
Support  for  Ukraine  will be implemented under the geographic pillar of  Global  Europe  and 
sourced from above the budget ceilings from a special dedicated reserve given the scale and 
uncertainty of the needs. 

Global  Europe  will  be  complemented  by  other  types  of  EU  external  action,  which,  for 
legal  reasons,  must be  financed under separate  programmes. The next  long-term  EU budget 
will  step  up  support  to  Overseas  Countries  and  Territories12  and  will  continue  financing 
Common Foreign and Security Policy actions.   

11 Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid. 
12 Council Decision (EU) 2021/1764 of 5 October 2021 on the association of the Overseas Countries and 
Territories with the European Union including relations between the European Union on the one hand, and 
Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other (Decision on the Overseas Association, including 
Greenland) (OJ L 355, 7.10.2021, p. 6, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/1764/oj). 2021/1764 

16 

 
 
 
 
VI. 

Investing in education, democracy and European values 

The new long-term EU budget will be a budget for all Europeans. It will step up investment 
in education and skills to help EU students and workers embrace opportunities across the 
EU.  It  will  continue  to  promote  Europe’s  rich  cultural  diversity,  democratic  values  and 
freedoms. It will be rooted in respect for the rights and values that define our Union. 

Supporting  education,  culture,  media  and  democratic  values  is  an  investment  in  our 
common  future.  The  EU  budget  has  been  at  the  forefront  of  this  support  with  its 
programmes.  It  contributes  to  addressing  transnational  collaboration  for  skills  development, 
addressing  and  nurturing  a  sense  of  EU  citizenship  and  mutual  understanding,  through  the 
promotion of EU values, supporting democratic and societal resilience, cultural interchange, 
financial literacy and a trustworthy information space. 

x1.5 

The  Erasmus+  programme  -  combining  the  current  Erasmus+  with  the  European 
Solidarity  Corps  -  will  be  strengthened,  reflecting  its  status  as  one  of  the  most 
emblematic EU programmes. Erasmus+ will continue to support high quality education and 

17 

 
 
 
 
training, boostin g the learning mobility of young people to develop skills and create shared 
experiences.  By  investing  in  youth,  volunteering,  and  sport,  Erasmus+  will  help  build 
stronger,  more  connected  societies,  encourage  civic  and  democratic  engagement,  and 
contribute to social cohesion at all levels. The national and regional partnership plans will also 
provide strong support for reforms and investments supporting skills development and related 
social infrastructure, fully aligned with country-specific recommendations.  

The new AgoraEU programme will support the pillars of a strong democracy, including 
culture, media and civil society. The EU cultural, creative, audiovisual and media sector is 
an  important  pillar  of  the  EU’s  economy  and  society.  The  audiovisual  sector  faces  strong 
competition from abroad and challenges related to the increased role of platforms. In the area 
of news media, decreasing media pluralism  and disinformation  are becoming a threat  to  the 
European  project  and  to  democracy.  Europe  also  faces  challenges  related  to  democratic 
participation,  equality,  cultural  diversity  and  threats  to  artistic  freedom.  To  counterbalance 
these  trends,  well-designed  and  reinforced  financial  support  at  European  level  plays  an 
important role. Cultural and linguistic diversity, our cultural heritage and our shared values of 
equality and democracy define the European identity and will continue to be supported in the 
next  long-term  budget.  Bringing  together  support  to  culture,  media  and  civil  society  under 
AgoraEU  will  ensure  simpler  access  for  beneficiaries  through  common  rules  and  funding 
arrangements. 

The Justice programme will contribute to the development of an efficient, inclusive and 
resilient  European  area  of  justice.  It  will  also  support  the  digitalisation  of  justice  at  EU 
level. 

VII.  Protecting people and building preparedness and resilience  

18 

 
 
 
 
The new long-term EU budget will provide the tools to implement the Preparedness Union 
and ProtectEU Strategy.13,14 Recent disasters and crises, including the pandemic, the war in 
Ukraine and energy  crises,  and the many  security  threats have shown the value added of 
coordinated  EU  and  Member  State  action  to  step  up  preparedness  and  safeguard  our 
internal  security.  The  next 
long-term  EU  budget will  reinforce  EU  prevention, 
preparedness and response capacity and invest in a safe and secure Europe. 

The  Niinistö  report15  highlighted  the  many  threats  facing  the  Union  and  made  concrete 
recommendations on how to prevent and respond to major crises affecting the EU or some of 
its Member States. The future long-term budget will address all aspects of crisis management: 
prevention, preparedness, response, and the recovery and upgrading of the EU’s preparedness 
toolbox with significant financial support from the EU budget. 

The  new  Union  Civil  Protection  Mechanism  and  Union  support  for  health  emergency 
preparedness  and  response  will  harness  the  synergies  between  EU  action  on  civil 
protection and health emergency preparedness and response. For an MFF built around the 
‘preparedness by design principle’, the Commission proposes to increase funding in this area 
by five times, to EUR 10.7  billion. The Union Civil  Protection Mechanism  will ensure that 
response capacities, including stockpiles, are developed and maintained at EU level across all 
relevant sectors and regions, complementing national efforts. A substantially reinforced Union 
Civil Protection Mechanism, coupled with health emergency preparedness and response, will 
ensure better  cross-sectoral  coordination and  address  capacity gaps  for emergencies  created, 
for  example,  by  climate  change,  the  changing  security  landscape,  including  for  critical 
infrastructure, and the evolving global health landscape. 

13 Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic 
and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  on  the  European  Preparedness  Union  Strategy, 
JOIN(2025) 130 final. 
14 Communication From The Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and 
Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  Of  The  Regions  on  ProtectEU:  a  European  Internal  Security  Strategy, 
COM(2025) 148 final 
15 Niinistö, S. (2024) Safer together – Strengthening Europe’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness. 

19 

 
 
 
 
The  next  financial  framework  will  translate  the  objective  of  ‘preparedness  by  design’ 
into  its  structure.  In  addition  to  the  central  EU  capacity  provided  by  the  Union  Civil 
Protection Mechanism, national and regional partnership plans will support investments and 
reforms to enhance crisis prevention, climate resilience and preparedness at Member State and 
regional level. The EU Facility will finance the response to disasters and unexpected events, 
to  supplement  national  financial  allocations  or  finance  actions  directly  at  EU  level.  The 
European Competitiveness Fund will enhance the EU’s preparedness and strategic autonomy 
in key sectors, technologies and infrastructure. It will support building up industrial capacities 
and cutting-edge technologies (e.g. Copernicus, Galileo and IRIS² crisis support tools; health 
innovation  and  manufacturing),  contributing  to  strengthening  the  resilience  of  the  EU 
including  by investing in the protection of critical  infrastructure. Global  Europe will  offer  a 
comprehensive toolbox for action in third countries. 

Security is the bedrock upon which all our freedoms are built. EU Member States’ ability 
to  guarantee  security  for  their  citizens  is  contingent  on  a  unified,  European  approach  to 
protecting our internal security. The new long-term EU budget will support Europe in making 
good on its enduring promise of peace and stability. The ProtectEU Strategy sets out the EU’s 
commitment to a safer and more secure Europe for all its citizens.  

The future long-term budget will underpin the commitment to a safer and more secure 
Europe. It will do so by supporting resilience of critical infrastructures, enabling cooperation 
between  Member  States’  emergency  services  when  responding  to  threats  to  the  internal 
security  of  the  EU,  upgrading  systems  for  information  exchange  and  cooperation,  and 
fostering a common response to serious crimes, including terrorism and organised crime. The 
new long-term EU budget will also allow closer cooperation with third countries in support of 
the internal security of the Union, via Global Europe. 

The  Union  will  continue  to  provide  support  to  nuclear  safety.  This  will  include 
international  cooperation  on  nuclear  safety,  as  well  as  the  decommissioning  of  nuclear 
activities in Lithuania and of the EU’s own nuclear installations. The EU contribution to the 
decommissioning  of  nuclear  installations  in  Bulgaria  and  Slovakia  is  expected  to  be 
completed by 2027. Financing from the EU budget will contribute to support for the health of 
workers and the general public, nuclear safety and preventing environmental degradation.  

VIII.  A modern and efficient public administration for Europe  

A  5%  reduction  in  staff  in  the  years  2013  to  2017,  followed  by  a  prolonged  period  of 
stable staffing has brought considerable savings in administrative expenditure – but also 
left a significant capacity gap in the Commission and exposed it to business  continuity 
risks. The rapidly evolving economic and global  landscape has generated  new policy needs 
and  the  Commission  has  been  given  new  initiatives  and  tasks  that  require  additional 
resources. To  implement  these  new  tasks,  the  Commission  must  be  equipped  with  the  right 
level  of  staffing,  with  the  right  profiles. This  also  implies  that  the  Commission  needs  to  be 
able to attract the best talent and to improve the geographic balance of its staff. 

20 

 
 
 
At  the  time  of  the  mid-term  revision  of  the  2021-2027  financial  framework16,  the 
Commission had  assessed the needs for  all  EU institutions resulting from new tasks as 
well  as  the  need  for  cybersecurity  expertise.  Since  the  mid-term  revision  proposal  was 
presented,  further 
initiatives  have  been  adopted,  without  corresponding 
reinforcement. Other  EU  institutions have also  been faced with  new  challenges,  not  least  in 
relation to security, AI and new regulatory obligations which are stretching their capacities to 
the limit. The gap is also substantial in cybersecurity, given the increased number and severity 
of attacks. 

legislative 

It  is  therefore  proposed  to  factor  in  an  increase  in  staffing  of  2500  posts  in  the 
administrative  heading  over  the  first  three  years  of  the  new  period,  covering  the 
established  needs  and  potential  developments  until  2027,  in  line  with  the  legislative 
proposals. By phasing in this increase over the first years of the next period, the Commission 
would  have  the  necessary  resources  to  ensure  the  proper  implementation  and  closure  of  the 
current programmes, as well as accelerating the start-up of the new generation of programmes 
and  preparing  the  Union  for  future  enlargements.  Looking  forward,  the  proposed 
simplification  and  the  reduction  in  the  number  of  programmes  are  expected  to  lead  to 
efficiency gains, which will help accommodate new tasks that may arise during the next long-
term  budget.  This,  combined  with  the  large-scale  review  of  the  Commission’s  organisation 
and operations, should lead to a situation in which the institution can meet future challenges 
head on, with the best possible staff structure and flexibility to act.  

With  respect  to  non-salary  related  expenditure,  an  annual  increase  of  2%  during  the 
next  financial  framework  remains  feasible,  provided  that  the  starting  point  takes 
account  of  the  real  needs.  Several  institutions  plan  major  building  works  over  the  coming 
years.  Appropriate  investment  in  IT,  including  for  cybersecurity,  is  required,  which  will 
ultimately help to rationalise future costs. Finally, the European External Action Service must 
be  in  a  position  to  ensure  the  security  of  the  delegations.  The  next  long-term  budget  must 
cater  for  uncertainty  in  price  developments  which  affect  in  particular  fixed  costs  and  other 
legal obligations (see Section 3).  

3.  A MORE AGILE EU BUDGET  

The  next  long-term  EU  budget  will  be  a  more  agile  budget,  combining  stability  and 
predictability with a more structural capacity to adapt to evolving needs and priorities. The 
next  long-term  EU  budget  must  be  the  right  budget  not  only  on  1  January  2028  but 
throughout its implementation until 2034 and beyond: it must be fit for the future.  

Flexibility will be a defining feature of the next long-term budget. Flexibility is central to 
ensuring  that  the  EU  budget  is  future-proof,  responsive  and  relevant  for  its  whole  duration. 
The  next  long-term  budget  needs  a  better  balance  between  investment  predictability  and 
flexibility  to  adjust  spending  focus  and  to  respond  to  unexpected  needs  and  crises. 
Predictability  will  always  be  ensured  for  investments  such  as  major  energy  and  transport 
investments  as  well  as  research  and  innovation  investments  that  require  long-term  planning 
for our beneficiaries, project promoters, and managing authorities. At the same time, reducing 
the number of headings and programmes will make it easier to redeploy resources that are not 

16 SWD(2023) 336 final. 

21 

 
 
 
 
pre-programmed  within  and  across  programmes.  There  will  be  increased  possibilities  to 
transfer resources between the strands or windows of EU budget programmes. In addition, the 
dedicated flexibility tools and instruments will be reinforced. 

The next financial framework will have a simpler architecture with fewer programmes, a 
higher share of unprogrammed amounts, as well as mechanisms and in-built reserves allowing 
for a better, faster and less disruptive response to evolving needs.  Redeployments within and 
across  programmes  will  be  facilitated  by  reducing  in-built  rigidities  in  the  budget,  while 
continuing to create stable conditions for long-term investment.  Response to disasters will be 
streamlined by integrating the current tools within the ceilings of the financial framework and 
within  programmes,  in  the  form  of  reserves  and  cushions,  as  well  as  with  simplified 
procedures for redirecting funding. The special instruments ‘over and above’ the ceilings will 
be rationalised, with the Flexibility Instrument providing support to new or unexpected needs 
when  other  flexibilities  are  not  available.  The  Flexibility  Instrument  will,  in  addition  to  a 
fixed yearly amount, include amounts equivalent to decommitments made in the previous year 
as well as to net fines entered in the budget in the previous year.17 

Recent  years  have  also  shown  that  the  frequency,  severity  and  depth  of  severe  crises, 
hardships and threats have increased. The rigidity of the current budget structure restricted 
the Union in its response to such crises. This underlined the importance of ensuring that the 
Union is structurally equipped with flexible and appropriate tools to respond to them. 

A  new  extraordinary  and  temporary  mechanism  will  be  established  to  respond  to  the 
consequences  of  severe  crises,  severe  hardship  or  serious  threats  thereof  affecting  the 
Union  or  its  Member  States.  This  extraordinary  crisis  tool  will  provide  loans  to  Member 
States  backed  by  EU  borrowing  solely  for  the  period  of  the  upcoming  long-term  budget 
should a severe crisis occur. The activation of this extraordinary and targeted crisis response 
tool will be decided by the Council, after obtaining the consent  of the European Parliament 
and  considering  the  specificities  and  needs  of  the  crisis.  The  Council  will  authorise  the 
borrowing  by  the  Commission,  on  capital  markets,  of  the  amount  for  the  loans  to  Member 
States, as required and depending on the circumstances. The next long-term budget must be 
ready to  respond  quickly and efficiently  should  a major  crisis  occur. The implementation  of 
this crisis response tool will ensure institutional balance including through due and adequate 
involvement of the European Parliament. 

17 The Commission will propose in due time an amendment of the Financial Regulation prolonging the treatment 
of negative revenue set out in its Article 48(2) beyond 2027. 

22 

 
 
 
 
A new political steering mechanism will provide strong interinstitutional governance for 
the  allocation  of  flexible  resources.  Flexibility  will  be  underpinned  by  robust  governance 
and a transparent process, with the European Parliament and the Council guiding investment 
priorities for EU programmes. With greater flexibility in the budget, there is a need for the EU 
institutions  to  identify  the  key  priorities  to  be  financed,  which  will  then  inform  the  annual 
budgetary procedure. The steering mechanism will keep the EU budget more closely aligned 
with the Union’s priorities and allow it to respond more flexibly to a fast-changing reality. It 
will be supported by an integrated strategy report, which builds on existing sectoral processes 
and reports such as the European Semester, the new Competitiveness Coordination Tool, the 
State  of  the  Energy  Union,  the  National  Energy  and  Climate  Plans,  the  Environmental 
Implementation  review,  and  the  Single  Market  and  Competitiveness  Report.  Structured  by 
major policy areas, the report will identify EU level priorities to be discussed and agreed by 
the European Parliament, Council and Commission.  

The  capacity  of  the  budget  should  not  depend  on  unexpected  inflationary  shocks.  In 
recent  years,  high  inflation  has  weighed  substantially  on  the  purchasing  power  of  the  EU 
budget.18 This led to a reduced budget for regional authorities, farmers or researchers. For the 
next long-term budget, the Commission is proposing that the ceilings continue to be based on 
a 2% fixed deflator when EU inflation is between 1% and 3%. When actual inflation is below 
1% or above 3%, adjustment will be made based on actual inflation, ensuring that the ability 
of the EU budget to deliver is not unduly affected. 

While  flexibility  allows  for  adaptation  to  changing  circumstances,  predictability  is 
necessary for beneficiaries and for Member States’ financial planning. Several features of 
the  Commission’s  proposals  will  improve  predictability  within  the  next  long-term  budget, 
starting  with  a 
the  ceilings. 
rationalisation  of 
NextGenerationEU  repayment  will  be  more  predictable  than  in  the  current  period,  as  there 
will be no new net bond issuance. The remaining volatility due to refinancing operations will 
be  covered  in  full  by  a  fixed  annual  envelope  for  NextGenerationEU  repayment,  covering 
both interest and principal. 

instruments  above 

reduction  and 

4.  A SIMPLER, MORE IMPACTFUL EU BUDGET  

The EU budget is designed first and foremost with its end recipients in mind. Simplifying 
and  harmonising  rules  and  processes  for  access  to  EU  funding  reduces  the  burdens  for 
recipients  and  beneficiaries  of  EU  funds,  especially  small  businesses.  With  simplified  rules 
and audit arrangements, project promoters will be able to focus on delivering results. 

Access to EU funds for beneficiaries will be made easier. A single portal will consolidate 
information on funding opportunities and provide a single gateway to EU project promoters 
for simplified access to information, building on the experiences of the Funding and Tenders 
Portal and the STEP Portal. Advisory and business support services will be streamlined. This 
will reduce the time needed to locate relevant information on financing opportunities.  

18 This was highlighted by the European Court of Auditors in its 2022 Annual Reports on the implementation of 
the  EU  budget  for  the  2022  financial  year  and  on  the  activities  funded  by  the  9th,  10th  and  11th  European 
Development Funds (EDFs) for the 2022 financial year. 

23 

 
 
 
 
The next financial framework will have a simpler architecture, with fewer programmes, 
reducing  administrative  burden.  This  reduces  overlaps,  maximises  synergies  and 
economies of scale and increases the budget’s readability for citizens and stakeholders alike. 
Furthermore,  the  creation  of  stable  regulatory  frameworks  under  shared,  direct  and  indirect 
management reduces administrative burden. With the national and regional partnership plans, 
we  will  achieve  a  significant  decrease  in  programming  documents,  compared  to  the  current 
multiplication of plans and work programmes under  multiple funds, reducing  the burden on 
national and regional administrations. 

To increase impact, the new long-term EU budget will rely extensively on results-based 
funding. This will shift the focus to the essential: ensuring that investment is delivering the 
desired  outcomes.  Results-based  financing,  where  funding  can  be  disbursed  for  the 
completion  of  intermediary  steps,  will  ensure  that  EU  funding  reaches  the  real  economy 
faster. A more widespread use of simplified cost options and financing not linked to costs will 
significantly reduce the  reporting obligations on  recipients  of funds by focusing checks and 
controls on the deliverables of the projects rather than on the costs. 

Expanded use of financial instruments and budgetary guarantees will  increase leverage 
and  allow  the  EU  budget  to  play  a  stronger  role  in  de-risking  private  investment  and 
unlocking financing by institutional investors. Private partners and private sector investment 
are increasingly relevant for a wide range of policies and programmes. Therefore, budgetary 
guarantees, financial instruments and blending operations (combining repayable support with 
a grant component) will become an integral part of the funding toolbox, supporting products 
such as venture debt, loans and equity investments.  

The  increased  use  of  financial  instruments  and  budgetary  guarantees  will  be 
accompanied by simplified governance. A harmonised set of technical rules for both internal 
and external programmes will promote coherence across the budget and reduce administrative 
burden  for  implementing  partners.  A  single  budgetary  guarantee  for  internal  policies, 
established  within  the  European  Competitiveness  Fund  but  accessible  to  other  programmes, 
will  be  established.  It  will  be  accompanied  by  a  separate  guarantee  for  external  policies 
established within Global Europe. Open architecture - allowing for cooperation with a variety 
of  International  Financial  Institutions  such  as  the  European  Investment  Bank,  the  European 
Bank  for  Reconstruction  and  Development,  national  promotional  banks  and  Development 
Finance Institutions - will remain a key feature of the EU long-term budget. 

The  impact  of  the  next  long-term  EU  budget  will  be  further  increased  by  the  use  of 
policy  loans  to  Member  States  and,  under  Global  Europe,  to  third  countries,  further 
leveraging the EU financial architecture. This will increase the impact of the EU budget, by 
providing  further  financial  resources  to  support  EU  policy  goals  via  borrowing  for  lending 
while  addressing  country-specific  challenges.  Such  additional  support  will  be  available  to 
Member  States  when  designing  their  initial  plan,  to  enable  them  to  access  an  amount  of 
funding commensurate with their needs and ambitions. 

Greater  consistency  between  EU  and  national  investment  priorities  will  maximise  the 
impact and effectiveness of funding. The future national and regional partnership plans will 
help  the  EU,  Member  States  and  regions  to  align  investment  and  reform  priorities.  These 
partnerships  will  combine EU and national  co-financing  to  finance initiatives  that serve  EU 
priorities while responding to local needs. 

24 

 
 
An enhanced performance framework will support the delivery of  EU policy priorities 
and increase transparency. It will ensure that horizontal priorities are applied in a consistent 
way across the EU budget, including for climate and biodiversity, the ‘do no significant harm’ 
principle, social policies and gender equality.  

An overall climate and environment spending target of at least 35% of the total amount 
of the budget will help steer support towards the goals of the European Green Deal. The 
performance  framework  will  also  provide  a  single  and  proportionate  set  of  rules  for  the 
implementation of the ‘do no significant harm’ principle across EU programmes.  

This  performance  framework  will  represent  a  major  simplification,  reducing  the 
administrative  burdens  associated  with  monitoring  and  reporting. A  single  expenditure 
and  performance  monitoring  system  will  apply  to  all  relevant  programmes,  allowing  for  a 
comprehensive  overview  of  where  EU  funds  are  allocated  and  what  they  deliver.  The 
framework  replaces  over  5,000  indicators  with  a  streamlined  set  of  around  900  output  and 
into  a  single  Annual 
result 
Management  and  Performance  Report,  and  merges  more  than  30  online  portals  with 
information about the budget into one user-friendly entry point (‘Single Gateway’), reducing 
burden  for  beneficiaries  and  improving  public  access  to  budget  information.  In  line  with 
recommendations  from the European Court of Auditors, it will ensure that  the  effectiveness 
and efficiency of the EU budget can be consistently assessed.19   

indicators,  consolidates  32  programme-specific  reports 

5.  RULE  OF  LAW,  FUNDAMENTAL  RIGHTS  AND  PROTECTION  OF  THE 

UNION’S FINANCIAL INTERESTS 

Respect  for  the  rule  of  law  is  a  must  for  all  funds.  It  is  essential  that  EU  spending  has 
strong safeguards on the rule of law to guarantee the protection of the EU’s financial interests. 
At the same time, experience with the current financing instruments shows that EU financial 
support for investments and reforms that strengthen the rule of law can offer real added value. 
The  national  and  regional  partnership  plans  will  ensure  a  strong  link  between  the 
recommendations  in the  Rule of Law Report and financial support for targeted reforms  and 
measures that boost institutional and civil society capacities in upholding the rule of law. The 
combination of financial support for rule of law reforms together with a strict application of 
safeguards  and  conditionalities  will  ensure  that  the  EU  budget  is  protected  and  is  used  to 
deliver on a Union based on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. 

The  national  and  regional  partnerships  will  require  that  Member  States  respect  the 
principles of the rule of law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Building on features 
of  the  Common  Provisions  Regulation  and  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility,  this  will 
allow for money to flow when key conditions of compliance with the principles of the rule of 
law  and  the  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights  are  met.  In  the  next  financial  framework,  there 
should be, as today in NextGenerationEU, a possibility to block payments in case of systemic 
deficiencies  linked  to  the  rule  of  law,  for  example  by  suspending  the  financing  linked  to 
educational  institutions  in  case  there  is  a  problem  with  the  fundamental  right  linked  to 
academic freedom. 

19 ECA Review 03/2025 Opportunities for the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework. 

25 

 
 
 
 
The  EU  budget  will  also  support  reforms  that  strengthen  the  rule  of  law  in  Member 
States, in line with the recommendations in the annual Rule of Law Report. This will provide 
positive incentives for all Member States to strengthen their capabilities to uphold the rule of 
law by sustaining and further developing open, rights-based, democratic, equal and inclusive 
societies,  promoting  and  upholding  the  rule  of  law  through  strengthening  justice  systems, 
anti-corruption  frameworks,  media  pluralism  and  effective  checks  and  balances,  and 
enhancing the efficiency of public administration and institutional capacity.  

The  Financial  Regulation  ensures  the  protection  of  the  Union’s  financial  interests  and 
requires Member States to ensure compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and 
to respect the Union values enshrined in Article 2 TEU relevant in the implementation of the 
budget.  In addition, the Conditionality Regulation, which is not time bound, will continue 
to protect the EU budget from breaches of the principles of the rule of law. It will be our last 
line of defence, applying to all EU programmes.  

Transparency on the beneficiaries of the EU budget will be reinforced. Starting in 2028, 
information on the recipients of EU funds will be published in a centralised database on the 
Commission's  website.  Furthermore,  to  protect  the  EU  budget,  particularly  from  misuse  to 
foster radical or extremist views in Member States, the Commission is open to explore new 
processes  or  measures  for  risk-based  thorough  screening  of  beneficiaries  of  EU  funding  for 
security  risks  and  incompatibility  with  EU  values.  In  line  with  the  Financial  Regulation  as 
amended in 2024, the conviction for incitement to discrimination, hatred or violence is a new 
ground for exclusion from EU funding which will be thoroughly applied. The Early Detection 
and  Exclusion  System,  which  protects  the  EU  budget  from  fraud  and  irregularities,  will  be 
extended to funds implemented under shared management. 

The  EU  budget  must  rely  on  a  solid  audit  and  control  strategy,  including  close 
cooperation between the Commission and the European Court of Auditors, to ensure that EU 
funds  are  spent  in  accordance  with  applicable  rules.  Regarding  the  national  and  regional 
partnerships, the Commission will rely on controls carried out by the Member States and will 
complement  them  by  its  own  controls,  focused  on  the  systems  put  in  place  by  the  Member 
States  to  ensure  the  rigorous  protection  of  the  financial  interests  of  the  EU.  It  will  also 
combine  ex  ante  and  ex  post  controls  on  the  legality  and  regularity  of  payments,  i.e.  the 
satisfactory  fulfilment  of  the  milestones  and  targets,  starting  with  the  analysis  of  the  plans 
submitted  by  the  Member  States,  then  carrying  out  controls  on  the  payment  requests 
submitted, and finally, performing ex post audits. 

The  ongoing  review  of  the  anti-fraud  architecture  will  ensure  that  all  actors  involved  – 
including  OLAF,  the  European  Public  Prosecutors’  office  and  Europol  –  collaborate  more 
closely,  to  fight  irregularities  fraud  and  corruption  affecting  the  EU  budget.  This 
comprehensive review, involving all the relevant actors within the EU anti-fraud architecture, 
will  create  more  synergies  and  efficiencies  avoiding  duplication  at  every  stage  of  the  anti-
fraud cycle: prevention, detection, investigation, correction of fraud, and the recovery of the 
amounts concerned, including those for the EU budget. 

6.  AN AMBITIOUS EU BUDGET FINANCED BY MODERN REVENUES  

The  financial  firepower  of  the  EU  budget  must  be  commensurate  with  the  Union’s 
ambitions.  The  scale  of  the  internal  challenges  facing  the  Union,  coupled  with  heightened 
geopolitical  uncertainty  and  intensifying  competition,  mean  that  the  EU  must  be  equipped 

26 

 
 
 
with  a  budget  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  make  a  real  difference  across  the  priority  areas 
outlined in this communication. And it must do this against the backdrop of the obligation to 
repay NextGenerationEU borrowing starting from 2028. 

The Commission is proposing a long-term EU budget of EUR 1.98 trillion, equivalent to 
1.26% of EU GNI. The expenditure and revenue sides of the EU budget are two sides of 
the same coin. The unique combination of pressing challenges and tight financial constraints 
presents a unique opportunity to deliver the modernisation on the spending and revenue sides 
of the budget that is so urgently needed. 

To support a more ambitious multiannual financial framework that responds effectively 
to the Union’s strategic priorities and to cater for the repayment of NextGenerationEU, 
new own resources are essential. The Union requires a collective financial effort that cannot 
be  borne  by  national  contributions  alone.  Introducing  new  own  resources  will  reduce  the 
burden on Member States and ensure the sustainable funding of common EU policies, while 
keeping  national  contributions  stable  overall.  The  EU  budget  is  about  creating  European 
added value for all, which also calls for joint financing of common priorities. 

Therefore,  as  part  of  the  proposal  for  the  new  long-term  budget,  the  Commission  is 
proposing  a  new  Own  Resources  Decision.  This  proposal  modernises  and  diversifies  the 
sources of revenue for the EU budget. At the same time, the Commission proposes to increase 
the  own  resources  ceilings  for  payments  to  1.75  %  of  the  EU-27  gross  national  income  to 
cater for higher financing  needs and the necessity  to  have a sufficient margin  to  ensure that 
the Union is able – under any circumstances – to fulfil its financial obligations.  

The Interinstitutional Agreement sought to frame and steer the negotiations on new own 
resources after 2020. These negotiations have stalled. To give negotiations a new impetus, 
the  Commission  has  undergone  a  review  of  the  entire  revenue  side  of  the  EU  budget.  This 
includes introducing new categories of own resources and proposing targeted adjustments to 
existing own resources. The financing of the EU budget can also be reinforced by introducing 
other  revenue  sources.  The  proposed  package  is  in  line  with  the  EU’s  political  priorities, 
based on existing legislation or the Own Resources Decision itself, and can be implemented 
with a reasonable administrative burden.  

New own resources to finance EU priorities 

The  Emissions  Trading  Scheme-based  own  resource  is  closely  linked  to  the  Union’s 
climate  targets  and  has  significant  revenue  potential.  A  possible  Emissions  Trading 
Scheme own resource has unique advantages in terms of immediate availability and sufficient 
scale. While 30% of revenues would go to the EU budget, most revenues from the auctioning 
of emission allowances would continue to flow to national budgets.  

The  Carbon  Border  Adjustment  Mechanism  own  resource  can  be  considered  as  the 
‘external  dimension’  of  the  Emissions  Trading  Scheme,  and  the  related  own  resource 
therefore  remains  an  integral  element  of  the  package.  The  Carbon  Border  Adjustment 
Mechanism  ensures  that  imports  to  the  EU  are  subject  to  a  carbon  price  equivalent  to 
producing these same goods in the EU. 

A new own resource based on the amount of non-collected e-waste would lead to positive 
environmental outcomes while supporting the Union’s strategic autonomy in critical raw 
materials. Waste electrical and electronic equipment, or e-waste, is one of the fastest growing 

27 

 
 
waste streams. As e-waste contains important critical raw materials, recycling and re-use play 
a  significant  role  in  reducing  dependency  on  foreign  suppliers.  Despite  notable  progress  in 
recycling, the collection  rate remains significantly below the  Union targets.  Implementing  a 
national  contribution  based  on  the  non-collected  waste  reported  by  Member  States  will 
incentivise waste reduction and encourage separate collection.  

Under  the  proposed  Corporate  Resource  for  Europe,  companies  will  contribute  to  the 
financing  of  the  EU  budget.  Several  EU  funding  programmes  support  companies  in 
modernising,  innovating  and  expanding.  The  new  long-term  EU  budget  will  boost 
competitiveness  and  economic growth  and improve the business  environment through long-
term  investments,  notably  through  the  European  Competitiveness  Fund.  The  own  resource 
will, in principle, not apply to SMEs. 

A Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource would support EU health policy objectives, while 
at the same time generating revenue for the EU budget. Divergent taxation regimes across 
the  Union  have  negative  effects  on  Member  States’  policies  to  deter  tobacco  consumption 
through taxation. The proposal for a Tobacco Excise Duty Own Resource is complementary to 
the upcoming recast of the tobacco excise duty directive, which aims to adapt EU minimum 
excise  duties  and  certain  categories  of  traditional  tobacco  products  ensuring  a  level  playing 
field in the Single Market.  

Adjustments to existing own resources 

Targeted  adjustments  to  existing  own  resources  are  proposed  to  preserve  the  revenue 
base of the EU budget. Traditional Own Resources, consisting primarily of customs duties, 
are  collected  by  the  Member  States  on  behalf  of  the  Union.  Furthermore,  it  is  proposed  to 
increase  the  call  rate  for  the  own  resource  based  on  non-recycled  plastic  packaging  waste, 
which was introduced at the start of the current financial framework, to account for inflation 
developments.  

Other revenue 

The EU budget  can also  be financed through other revenue.  Other revenue supplements 
own  resources.  It  flows  directly  into  the  EU  budget,  reducing  the  pressure  on  national 
contributions from Member States. Additional other revenue will be generated, for example, 
by  increasing  the  level  of  the  existing  ETIAS  fee  to  align  it  with  other  jurisdictions.  The 
Commission  will  also  continue  working  towards  introducing  new  fees  related  to  Union 
policies. 

7.  CONCLUSION 

The negotiations on the 2028-2034 multiannual financial framework are an opportunity 
for the Union to show unity of purpose and to equip the Union with the means to deliver 
on its collective ambitions.  

The  Commission  is  proposing  an  ambitious,  agile  and  forward-looking  EU  long-term 
budget. It builds on the strengths and fundamental principles of the current framework, while 
making it simpler, more flexible and more impactful. Incremental changes will not be enough 
to solve a complex budgetary equation, with huge expectations on the Union to deliver while 
meeting  its  financial  obligations  under  NextGenerationEU.  This  means  daring  to  do  things 
differently, ensuring every euro helps to drive Europe forward.  

28 

 
 
Robust governance, transparency and strong political oversight are integral to every part 
of these proposals. The Commission will work closely with the European Parliament and the 
Council  to  achieve  an  ambitious,  balanced  and  timely  agreement  on  the  next  multiannual 
financial framework and on the sectoral  programmes. As budgetary authority, the  European 
Parliament and Council will steer the long-term budget, ensuring it remains fully aligned with 
our shared priorities throughout its duration. 

A  more  independent  Europe  must  be  ready  to  take  its destiny  into  its  own  hands.  The 
Union cannot rely solely on others to defend its interests and values. This means we need to 
use all the tools available to implement our shared agenda and to turn ambitions into reality. 
The  EU  budget  has  the  power  to  unlock  the  investments  and  reforms  that  are  key  for  the 
Union’s future prosperity, cohesion, security and sustainability.  

It is time to work together to make this a reality. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
Annex. The 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework - Tables 

30 

2028202920302031203220332034Total2028-2034163,088    160,860    158,053    155,565    152,274    140,140    132,240    1,062,220     National and Regional Partnership Plans, of which:135,571      133,134      130,131      127,411      123,879      111,535      103,415      865,076           Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and fisheries - income support 42,272            42,268            42,265            42,261            42,257            42,204            42,172            295,699               Migration & border management 5,847              5,633              5,407              5,170              4,922              3,945              3,291              34,215                 Economic, territorial and social cohesion including fisheries and rural communities and tourism 75,768            73,334            70,769            68,074            65,240            53,715            46,065            452,965               p.m. Social Climate Fund 10,500            10,300            10,100            9,800              9,400              -                  -                  50,100                 Interreg -                  1,753              1,782              1,810              1,840              1,524              1,555              10,264                 EU Facility - Union actions 10,512            8,951              8,690              8,852              8,353              8,853              9,012              63,223                 Unity Safety Net/ Agricultural reserve 900                 900                 900                 900                 901                 900                 900                 6,301                   EU Solidarity Fund 2,706              2,760              2,815              2,872              2,929              2,988              3,047              20,117                 HOME Thematic facilities 3,401              3,469              3,539              3,609              3,682              3,755              3,830              25,285                 Other (cities, employment & social innovation...) 3,505              1,822              1,436              1,471              841                 1,210              1,235              11,520                 EU Facility - Cushion 1,172              1,195              1,219              1,243              1,268              1,294              1,319              8,710                  Support to the Turkish-Cypriot Community58              63              61              62              64              64              66              438                Decentralised agencies, of which:2,677          2,866          3,048          3,261          3,483          3,676          3,877          22,888            Frontex 1,309              1,421              1,561              1,694              1,827              1,963              2,113              11,888                 Europol 320                 361                 395                 430                 464                 498                 531                 2,999                  Repayment of NGEU24,000        24,000        24,000        24,000        24,000        24,000        24,000        168,000          Margin781             797             814             831             846             864             881             5,814             Competitiveness, prosperity and security66,875      81,300      83,176      87,312      88,611      90,706      91,614      589,594        European Competitiveness Fund42,703        56,663        58,374        70,978        72,286        74,158        75,346        450,508          European Competitiveness Fund (excluding Innovation Fund)42,653             56,613             58,324             61,925             62,343             63,498             63,945             409,301                Horizon Europe 16,243            25,183            26,265            26,891            26,607            27,048            26,765            175,002               Clean Transition and Industrial Decarbonisation 3,004              3,566              3,636              12,971            13,940            14,737            15,560            67,416                 MFF component 2,954              3,516              3,586              3,919              3,997              4,077              4,159              26,210                 p.m. Innovation Fund 50                   50                   50                   9,052              9,943              10,660            11,401            41,206                 Resilience and Security, Defence Industry, and Space 14,733            17,534            17,884            19,544            19,935            20,334            20,741            130,704               Digital Leadership 6,176              7,350              7,497              8,194              8,358              8,525              8,695              54,793                 Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy 2,547              3,031              3,092              3,378              3,446              3,515              3,585              22,593                 Minimum amount ECF InvestEU Instrument & advisory services, indicative contribution from the windows (part of total ECF) 1,143              1,643              1,642              1,643              1,643              1,643              1,643              11,000                Erasmus+5,261          5,440          5,625          5,819          6,019          6,224          6,439          40,827           Connecting Europe Facility10,906        11,290        11,342        11,569        11,982        12,045        12,294        81,428            Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Transport, of which: 7,124              7,354              7,246              7,308              7,550              7,434              7,499              51,515                 Military mobility 2,842              2,899              2,609              2,483              2,533              2,214              2,071              17,651                 Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Energy 3,782              3,936              4,096              4,261              4,432              4,610              4,795              29,912                Union Civil Protection Mechanism + (UCPM+)1,316          1,437          1,477          1,535          1,569          1,644          1,697          10,675           AgoraEU1,099          1,139          1,180          1,223          1,268          1,313          1,360          8,582              Creative Europe - Culture 230                 238                 247                 256                 265                 275                 285                 1,796                   Media+ 409                 424                 439                 455                 472                 489                 506                 3,194                   Democracy, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values 460                 477                 494                 512                 531                 550                 569                 3,593                  Other (Euratom, Single Market, Lithuania, nuclear decommissioning ...)5,811          5,227          4,981          4,859          5,091          5,886          5,680          37,532           Single Market Programme833             916             860             885             904             915             925             6,238             Euratom Research and Training Programme, of which:1,599          1,434          1,287          1,143          1,219          1,653          1,459          9,794              Contribution to ITER 946                 848                 762                 676                 721                 978                 863                 5,794                  Instrument for emergency support within the Union (ESI)-             -             -             -             -             -             -             -                 Protection of the euro against counterfeiting (the ‘Pericles V programme') 1                1                1                1                1                1                1                7                   Nuclear decommissioning (Lithuania)91              124             87              84              94              94              104             678                Nuclear safety cooperation and decommissioning135             103             121             128             144             158             177             966                Justice101             105             109             114             118             123             128             798                Decentralised agencies1,271          1,319          1,354          1,397          1,441          1,486          1,530          9,798             Other (Other actions, prerogatives)699             273             277             302             306             320             316             2,493             Margin908             1,104          1,129          1,185          1,203          1,231          1,239          7,999             Global Europe24,555      25,127      25,578      30,603      35,761      36,442      37,137      215,203        Global Europe Instrument (*)22,787        23,243        23,708        28,448        33,369        34,037        34,717        200,309           Enlargement, Eastern Neighbourhood, and rest of Europe 4,843              4,940              5,039              6,046              7,093              7,235              7,380              42,576                 Sub-Saharan Africa 6,795              6,931              7,069              8,482              9,950              10,149            10,352            59,728                 Asia and the Pacific 1,900              1,938              1,976              2,372              2,782              2,838              2,895              16,701                 Americas and the Caribbean 1,024              1,045              1,065              1,278              1,499              1,529              1,560              9,000                   Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf 4,835              4,932              5,030              6,036              7,080              7,222              7,367              42,502                 Global Affairs 1,706              1,741              1,775              2,131              2,498              2,548              2,599              14,998                 Cushion 1,684              1,718              1,752              2,103              2,467              2,517              2,567              14,808                Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)443             454             467             483             494             507             521             3,369             Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) (including Greenland)94              144             147             199             153             156             106             999                Other (Other actions, prerogatives)310             344             297             325             404             376             400             2,456             SFPA and RFMO192            202            148            164            199            204            222            1,331             Other actions12              32              42              52              95              56              60              349               Prerogatives106            109            107            109            110            116            118            775               Margin920             942             958             1,147          1,340          1,366          1,392          8,065             Administration14,945        15,584        16,281        16,870        17,466        18,062        18,669        117,877          -            -            -            -            -            -            -            TOTAL269,463    282,871    283,088    290,350    294,112    285,350    279,660    1,984,894     In % GNI (EU-27)1.31%1.33%1.29%1.29%1.27%1.19%1.13%1.26%Over and above the ceilings, of which:Flexibility Instrument2,122          2,165          2,208          2,252          2,297          2,343          2,390          15,777           Ukraine14,286        14,286        14,286        14,286        14,286        14,286        14,286        100,002          Catalyst Europe (policy loans NRPPs)(150 bn)Crisis mechanism(0.25% GNI - 395 bn)Outside MFFEuropean Peace Facility4,357          4,357          4,357          4,357          4,357          4,357          4,357          30,499            Economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture, rural and maritime prosperity and security Nominal amounts in current prices, EUR millionMULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK 2028-2034 (IN COMMITMENTS) 
 
 
 
31 

Nominal amounts in 2025 prices, EUR million2028202920302031203220332034Total2028-2034153,681    148,610    143,153    138,137    132,563    119,607    110,652    946,404    National and Regional Partnership Plans, of which:127,751      122,995      117,863      113,137      107,844      95,194        86,533        771,317       Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) income support and fisheries 39,580            38,796            38,027            37,274            36,533            35,768            35,035            261,013           Migration & border management 5,510              5,204              4,897              4,591              4,285              3,367              2,754              30,608             Economic, territorial and social cohesion including fisheries and rural communities and tourism 71,398            67,749            64,097            60,447            56,796            45,845            38,545            404,877           p.m. Social Climate Fund 9,894              9,516              9,148              8,702              8,183              -                  -                  45,443             Interreg -                  1,620              1,614              1,607              1,601              1,301              1,301              9,044               EU Facility - Union actions 9,906              8,269              7,870              7,861              7,272              7,556              7,541              56,275             Unity Safety Net/ Agricultural reserve 848                 831                 815                 799                 784                 768                 753                 5,598               EU Solidarity Fund 2,550              2,550              2,550              2,550              2,550              2,550              2,550              17,850             HOME Thematic facilities 3,205              3,205              3,205              3,205              3,205              3,205              3,205              22,435             Other (cities, employment & social innovation...) 3,303              1,683              1,300              1,307              733                 1,033              1,033              10,392             EU Facility - Cushion 1,357              1,357              1,357              1,357              1,357              1,357              1,357              9,500              Support to the Turkish-Cypriot Community55              58              55              55              56              55              55              389             Decentralised agencies, of which:2,522          2,648          2,761          2,896          3,032          3,137          3,244          20,240         Frontex 1,233              1,313              1,414              1,504              1,591              1,675              1,768              10,498             Europol 302                 333                 358                 382                 404                 425                 444                 2,649              Repayment of NGEU22,616        22,172        21,738        21,311        20,893        20,484        20,082        149,296      Margin737             737             738             738             737             738             737             5,161          Competitiveness, prosperity and security63,017      75,108      75,335      77,530      77,141      77,416      76,658      522,205    European Competitiveness Fund40,240        52,348        52,871        63,026        62,929        63,293        63,046        397,753      European Competitiveness Fund (excluding Innovation Fund)40,193             52,302             52,826             54,988             54,273             54,195             53,506             362,283            Horizon Europe 15,306            23,265            23,789            23,878            23,163            23,085            22,396            154,882           Clean Transition and Industrial Decarbonisation 2,831              3,294              3,293              11,518            12,136            12,578            13,020            58,670             MFF component 2,784              3,248              3,248              3,480              3,480              3,480              3,480              23,200             p.m. Innovation Fund 47                   46                   45                   8,038              8,656              9,098              9,540              35,470             Resilience and Security, Defence Industry, and Space 13,883            16,198            16,198            17,355            17,355            17,355            17,355            115,699           Digital Leadership 5,820              6,790              6,790              7,276              7,276              7,276              7,276              48,504             Health, Biotech, Agriculture and Bioeconomy 2,400              2,800              2,800              3,000              3,000              3,000              3,000              20,000             Minimum amount ECF InvestEU Instrument & advisory services, indicative contribution from the windows (part of total ECF) 1,077              1,518              1,488              1,459              1,430              1,402              1,375              9,749              Erasmus+4,958          5,026          5,095          5,167          5,240          5,312          5,388          36,186        Connecting Europe Facility10,277        10,430        10,273        10,273        10,431        10,280        10,287        72,251         Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Transport, of which: 6,713              6,794              6,563              6,489              6,573              6,345              6,275              45,752             Military mobility 2,678              2,678              2,363              2,205              2,205              1,890              1,733              15,752             Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) - Energy 3,564              3,636              3,710              3,784              3,858              3,935              4,012              26,499            Union Civil Protection Mechanism + (UCPM+)1,240          1,328          1,338          1,363          1,366          1,403          1,420          9,458          AgoraEU1,036          1,052          1,069          1,086          1,104          1,121          1,138          7,606           Creative Europe - Culture 217                 220                 224                 227                 231                 235                 238                 1,592               Media+ 385                 391                 398                 404                 411                 417                 423                 2,830               Democracy, Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values 434                 440                 447                 455                 462                 469                 476                 3,184              Single Market Programme785             846             779             786             787             781             774             5,538          Euratom Research and Training Programme, of which:1,507          1,325          1,166          1,015          1,061          1,411          1,221          8,706           Contribution to ITER 892                 784                 690                 600                 628                 835                 722                 5,150              Instrument for emergency support within the Union (ESI)-             -             -             -             -             -             -             -             Protection of the euro against counterfeiting (the ‘Pericles V programme') 1                1                1                1                1                1                1                7                Nuclear decommissioning (Lithuania)86              115             79              75              82              80              87              604             Nuclear safety cooperation and decommissioning127             95              110             114             125             135             148             854             Justice95              97              99              101             103             105             107             707             Decentralised agencies1,198          1,219          1,226          1,240          1,254          1,268          1,280          8,687          Other (Other actions, prerogatives)659             252             251             268             266             273             264             2,233          Margin855             1,020          1,023          1,053          1,048          1,051          1,037          7,085          Global Europe23,138      23,213      23,166      27,174      31,132      31,103      31,074      190,000    Global Europe Instrument (*)21,473        21,473        21,473        25,261        29,050        29,050        29,050        176,830       Enlargement, Eastern Neighbourhood, and rest of Europe 4,564              4,564              4,564              5,369              6,175              6,175              6,175              37,586             Sub-Saharan Africa 6,403              6,403              6,403              7,532              8,662              8,662              8,662              52,727             Asia and the Pacific 1,790              1,790              1,790              2,106              2,422              2,422              2,422              14,742             Americas and the Caribbean 965                 965                 965                 1,135              1,305              1,305              1,305              7,945               Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf 4,556              4,556              4,556              5,360              6,164              6,164              6,164              37,520             Global Affairs 1,608              1,608              1,608              1,892              2,175              2,175              2,175              13,241             Cushion 1,587              1,587              1,587              1,867              2,148              2,148              2,148              13,072            Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)417             419             423             429             430             433             436             2,987          Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) (including Greenland)89              133             133             177             133             133             89              887             Other (Other actions, prerogatives)292             318             269             289             352             321             335             2,176          Margin867             870             868             1,018          1,167          1,166          1,164          7,120          Administration14,083        14,397        14,746        14,980        15,205        15,415        15,621        104,447      Total margin2,557          1,105          1,113          1,299          1,448          1,751          1,735          11,008        TOTAL253,919    261,328    256,400    257,822    256,041    243,541    234,005    1,763,056 In % GNI (EU-27)1.31%1.33%1.29%1.29%1.27%1.19%1.13%1.26%(*) EUR 25 bn of the 2028-2034 envelope could contribute to humanitarian aid.Over and above the ceilings, of which:Flexibility Instrument2,000          2,000          2,000          2,000          2,000          2,000          2,000          14,000        Ukraine13,462        13,198        12,939        12,685        12,437        12,193        11,954        88,867        Catalyst Europe (policy loans NRPPs)(150 bn in current prices)Crisis mechanism(0.25% GNI - 350 bn)Outside MFFEuropean Peace Facility4,106          4,025          3,946          3,869          3,793          3,719          3,646          27,104        MULTIANNUAL FINANCIAL FRAMEWORK 2028-2034 (IN COMMITMENTS) Economic, social and territorial cohesion, agriculture, rural and maritime prosperity and security