The Council of the EU adopted its position on Wednesday 15 July on the draft budget plan of the EU for 2027, the last of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The EU27’s version provides for a total of €202.07 billion in payment appropriations and €191.88 billion in commitment appropriations, the latter figure being reduced by €1,003.18 million compared with the initial proposal unveiled by the Commission on 10 June (see EUROPE 13885/28).
Most of this slight adjustment would affect Heading 1, “Single Market, innovation and digital”, reduced by €435 million to €22.8 billion, as well as the part devoted to “Resilience and values” under Heading 2, reduced by €523 million to €16.8 billion.
Compared with the 2026 budget, the Commission proposal was based on an increase of 2.87% in commitments and 4.92% in payment appropriations.
In a press release on its position, the Council of the EU claims a “prudent approach”. “The 2027 budget should safeguard the EU’s ability to cope with ongoing crises and challenges, such as the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as migratory pressures”, it states. The institution also underlines the need to “allow for sufficient margins under the MFF 2021-2027 ceilings to deal with unforeseen circumstances”.
The Council of the EU’s position will serve as a mandate for the Irish Presidency to negotiate with the European Parliament. This year, the deadline set by the Treaties for reaching an agreement on the annual budget is midnight on 16 November.
At the same time, the Council of the EU attached to its position three statements addressed to the Commission, one concerning the level of administrative expenditure and another devoted to transparency regarding the calculation of national contributions.
On the one hand, the institution “strongly urges all institutions to further control and manage administrative spending and pursue for efficiencies”.
In this regard, the Council of the EU “regrets that the Commission is proposing to use the Single Margin Instrument to cover the needs despite the Council’s conclusions on the budget guidelines for 2027 to ensure that the current ceilings of Heading 7 of the MFF would not be exceeded (...)”.
Lastly, the EU27 note that, “in its presentation of the calculation of the financing of the budget (...) the Commission has reduced the level of detail and transparency by omitting the calculation of a ‘national contribution’”. The institution is therefore invited to “reintroduce a calculation of ‘national contribution’”, which constitutes “a standardised reference point for stakeholders”.
In fact, its removal limits “the possibility of conducting a well-informed analysis of contributions made to the EU budget”, it further states.
However, the Council of the EU specifies that this position “is without prejudice to future or ongoing legislative deliberations that may be affected by the notion and concept of ‘national contributions’” with reference to the current talks on the 2028-2034 MFF (see EUROPE 13909/1).
To see the EU Council ’s press release on its position: https://aeur.eu/f/mwd
And the EU Council’s position: https://aeur.eu/f/mwg (Original version in French by Clément Solal)