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On 28 April, the European Parliament has formally adopted its position on the EU’s 2028-2034 budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), with 370 votes to 201 and 84 abstentions.
MEPs demand a 10 per cent increase to the Commission’s original almost €2 trillion budget proposal from 16 July 2025, according to the Parliament’s Research Services April 2026 report.
The Parliament wants funds evenly divided among the three key areas (cohesion and agriculture, competitiveness, and external action) and excludes NextGenerationEU repayments of €149.3 trillion (2025 prices) from spending ceilings.
Calling for a more ambitious budget, the legislative backs €385.12 billion as separate funds for the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and a total budget of €274.34 billion for cohesion policy. Regional and local authorities should retain a key role in these matters.
MEPs agree on an additional €62.08 billion for competitiveness to the Commission’s proposed €522.2 billion, including €26.6 billion for the European Competitiveness Fund. They also call for reinforced funding for other programmes such as Horizon Europe and the Connecting Europe Facility and a ringfenced funding for the EU4Health and LIFE programmes.
The Parliament wants to boost external action funding by €21.24 billion beyond the Commission’s proposal (€190 billion), with a stronger focus on enlargement, aid for Ukraine, multilateral cooperation, and humanitarian support.
MEPs support the Commission’s plan for a “basket” of different revenue sources, but call for additional streams, such as a digital services levy.
Negotiations can begin once all parties have adopted a position.
The Parliament will vote on the budget in the next plenary session on 18 May, while discussions in the Council are scheduled for the 18-19 June summit.
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