What are the sticking points for the EU's new budget?
Key takeaways
- The battle over the next long-term EU budget has begun.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5D1rr EU budget negotiations are not expected to go smoothly Image: Martin Bertrand/IMAGOAdvertisement.
- On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted to increase the EU budget.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The battle over the next long-term EU budget has begun. The EU's institutions have staked out their positions and are seeking significantly more funding, but it is the 27 member states that will ultimately decide.
https://p.dw.com/p/5D1rr EU budget negotiations are not expected to go smoothly Image: Martin Bertrand/IMAGOAdvertisement. The adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Union's long-term spending plan, is one of the most sensitive political issues in the bloc. The negotiations are currently entering a critical phase. The question is not only how much the EU will cost its member states from 2028 to 2035, but also what they will receive in return.
For the EU institutions, it is also a matter of external autonomy: "In a time of geopolitical instability, the budget will allow Europe to shape its own destiny, in line with its vision and ideals," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last July when she unveiled her proposals for the long-term budget.