European Parliament disagrees with proposal for EU multiannual budget
STRASBOURG – The scope is not large enough and there are also disagreements on other important components, such as merging the current large funds for agriculture and disadvantaged policies into one large fund.
The Commission’s proposal to give the money from that new large fund to the member states, which they can then spend at their own discretion, is also rejected. This is not only un-European but also unacceptable, said Member of the European Parliament Siegfried Mureșan, one of the two negotiators, at a press conference on Tuesday.
The supervisory role of the European Parliament is also being stripped away, added co-negotiator Carla Tavares. “We cannot accept this proposal.”
In mid-July, the European Commission presented its proposal for a new multiannual budget (MFF) that runs from 2028 to 2034. It is based on a budget of 2000 billion euros, instead of the current 1200 billion. Part of this must come from new revenues, such as a European tax on tobacco and companies.
More own revenues are viewed positively by the negotiators from the European Parliament. That 2000 billion euros is too little, especially considering the many new priorities of the EU such as strengthening security, defense, and competitiveness, said Mureșan and Tavares.
They are now going to draft an initial official response on behalf of the entire parliament, which will be voted on in October. After that, the mandate for negotiations will be established. These can last two years.
(September 9, 2025)
