MEPs in the budgets’ committee (BUDG) have said no to the European Commission’s idea to have one cash pot per member state under the EU’s next long-term budget (2028-34), the so-called Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and instead called for a bigger and more ambitious budget.
By 23 votes in favour, nine against and two abstentions, MEPs adopted their vision for a simpler, more flexible, and people-focused budget—one that prioritises climate action, the digital transition, and employment, while responding to ongoing geopolitical challenges.
“We want people and regions at the centre of the next MFF. We need strong investments to boost strategic autonomy, economic resilience, and green goals while leaving no one behind,” said Carla Tavares (Portugal/S&D), one of the two leading MEPs in the file.
Although the Commission’s official proposal is not expected before summer 2025, MEPs are already concerned that the future spending ceiling will fall short in addressing a growing list of crises, including Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the US retreating from its global role.
“If we expect Europe to do more to face current challenges, we have to equip it with sufficient instruments and the budget is a key instrument in this respect,” said leading MEP Siegfried Muresan (Romania/EPP), stressing the report’s call for an increase in the next MFF.
The current MFF totals €1.2 trillion, or 1% of the bloc’s GDP (excluding post-pandemic recovery funds), with most of the funding allocated to agricultural subsidies and policies aimed at reducing the socio-economic gap between the EU’s richest and poorest regions.
However, for the next budget, the Commission has already signalled that difficult decisions will be needed to balance traditional priorities with newer and more urgent ones, including security and defence.
“The EU must maximise the impact of every euro it spends, focusing on EU priorities and objectives where EU action is most needed,” the Commission stated in its February communication titled “The road to the next multiannual financial framework”.
The EU executive is currently considering a redesign of the 2028–34 MFF, proposing a national plan for each member state that would tie investments to reforms—mirroring the structure of the post-pandemic recovery funds. Parliament, however, is firmly against this approach.
“We reject the ‘One National Plan per Member State’ model proposed by the European Commission, which we believe cannot serve as the basis for shared management spending post-2027,” Muresan reiterated.
Instead, MEPs in BUDG are advocating for a structure that guarantees parliamentary oversight and includes regional and local actors in the decision-making process.
The Parliament’s report also calls for additional EU-wide taxes, or own resources—one of only two ways the EU can finance its budget, the other being direct contributions from member states.
“Without fresh revenue, EU programmes will face cuts or force taxpayers to bear the burden,” Muresan warned, particularly as the EU must still determine how to repay debt from the post-pandemic funds, estimated at around €30 billion annually from 2028.
Additionally, BUDG MEPs agreed that more joint borrowing would be a viable option to address large-scale EU-wide crises.
The Parliament’s position must still be endorsed by the full plenary during the next session in Strasbourg, scheduled for 5–8 May.