The European Parliament has agreed on the budget headings and amounts for the 2026 draft budget, as well as on the accompanying political resolution.
By setting commitment appropriations at almost €193.9 billion, it proposes an increase of €597.8 million compared to the European Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE 13653/27). The overall level of payment appropriations (actual payments made to beneficiaries) has been set at €192.6 billion.
Parliament restores €1.3 billion in commitment appropriations for key programmes that had been cut by EU Member States (see EUROPE 13678/30). These cuts are damaging key programmes such as Erasmus + and EU4Health, according to Parliament.
The numerous increases obtained in the compromise reached in the European Parliament Committee on Budgets (see EUROPE 13725/26) will be defended during negotiations with the EU Council: + €60 million for Horizon Europe, + €80 million for transport and energy networks, + €23 million for young farmers, + €40 million for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, + €30 million for the Civil Protection Mechanism, + €35 million for Military Mobility, + €35 million for the EU’s southern neighbourhood and + €25 million for the Eastern Neighbourhood.
Faced with the borrowing costs of the post-Covid-19 fund (Next Generation EU plan), Parliament is advocating the use of the cascade mechanism rather than reducing programmes.
Adopted by 384 votes to 202 with 58 abstentions, the political resolution defends a 2026 budget focused on security, competitiveness, research, SMEs, farmers, civil protection and safety, according to the general rapporteur for the 2026 budget, Andrzej Halicki (EPP, Polish).
Negotiations with the Council of the EU will begin on 4 November. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)