Brussels – The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have reached an agreement on the EU’s 2027 annual budget, the seventh and final under the current 2021–2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF). Next year’s budget amounts to 199.7 billion euros in total commitments and 211.5 billion euros in total payments. A further 710.1 million euros has been made available within the current MFF’s spending ceilings, enabling the EU to respond to unforeseen needs. “The budget for 2027 must strike the right balance: equipping the Union with the means to act decisively, respond to the needs of its citizens and invest in their future, while avoiding additional burden on national budgets and taxpayers,” said Simon Harris, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance of Ireland – the country currently holding the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU – and the Council’s chief negotiator for the 2027 EU budget.
The provisional agreement restores the 1 billion euros in expenditure commitments that the Council cut, bringing them back to the levels originally proposed by the Commission. Parliament succeeded in negotiating 300 million euros in additional funding on top of the Commission’s proposal, bolstering policies such as Horizon Europe, transport and energy networks, Erasmus+, civil protection, neighbourhood policy and humanitarian aid. Parliament has also secured the strengthening of cybersecurity and security capabilities within the EU institutions – including the Union’s delegations – to protect staff and ensure secure communications. Detailed figures will be published in due course.
To boost European competitiveness, innovation and cross-border connectivity, MEPs succeeded in increasing funding for Horizon Europe by 21.5 million euros, for transport and energy networks by 22.5 million euros, and for Erasmus+ by 14 million euros. A further 7 million euros has been earmarked for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund. The LIFE programme – the EU’s instrument for the environment and climate action – will receive an additional 10 million euros. To strengthen the EU’s capacity to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies, MEPs have increased funding for the Civil Protection Mechanism by 13.5 million euros.
To strengthen the EU’s capacity to manage migration and protect its external borders, MEPs increased funding for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument by 30 million euros. They also secured a 10-million-euro increase for military mobility. MEPs increased funding for the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood by 39 million euros and secured an additional 30 million euros for humanitarian aid.
Although the Parliament and the Council have not activated the special borrowing facility to support Ukraine, they committed in a joint statement to keeping the option to use it open in 2027 should unforeseen and exceptional circumstances arise. The additional costs of 4.9 billion euros associated with the NGEU plan were managed in accordance with the previously agreed “cascade mechanism”, designed to address borrowing costs while safeguarding priority programmes.
In summary, for the Single Market, Innovation and Digital, 22,007.5 million euros in commitments and 22,850.5 million euros in payments; for Cohesion, Resilience and Values, 75,764.9 million euros in commitments and 81,849.9 million euros in payments; for Natural Resources and the Environment: 57,113.4 million euros in commitments and 61,278.4 million euros in payments; for Migration and Border Management: 5,811.6 million euros in commitments and 3,878.8 million euros in payments; for Security and Defence
3,078.5 million euros in commitments and 2,230.7 million euros in payments; to Neighbourhood and the rest of the world: 15,537.9 million euros in commitments and 16,660.6 million euros in payments; to the European public administration: 13,869.7 million euros in commitments and 13,869.7 million euros in payments; for the Loan in support of Ukraine: 650.0 million euros in commitments and 650.0 million euros in payments; for Special Instruments: 5,874.1 million euros in commitments and 8,257.2 million euros in payments. The total stands at 199,707.5 million euros in commitments and 211,525.8 million euros in payments, whilst the appropriations as a percentage of GNI (gross national income) amount to 0.99 per cent in commitments and 1.05 per cent in payments.
Commitments are legal promises to spend on activities whose implementation extends over several financial years. Payments cover expenditure arising from commitments entered into by the EU budget during the current financial year or in previous years.
The European Parliament and the Council now have 14 days to approve the agreement formally. The Council is expected to ratify it on 23 November. Adoption of the budget requires a qualified majority in the Council.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
