EPP Group demands 10% EU budget boost

The EPP Group is demanding a 10% increase in the EU’s long-term budget (MFF).

“We want to make the next MFF fit for the current circumstances. In today’s geopolitical climate, marked by Russia’s war in Ukraine and escalating tensions with Iran, hesitation is not an option. Europe cannot afford to be weak or fall behind economically,” said Siegfried Mureșan MEP, the Parliament's co-negotiator for the 2028-2034 EU budget and vice-president of the EPP Group.

The Parliament will vote today in the Budget Committee to set its key conditions for the next MFF.

“We call for a robust EU budget that can finance both new priorities, such as security and competitiveness, and traditional priorities, such as agriculture and cohesion. We have also proposed dedicated funds for our farmers and regions. We have always rejected the Commission’s attempt to merge these two priorities, which would leave beneficiaries without predictability,” added Mureșan.

When it comes to new funding, the EPP is calling for genuine own resources to adequately cover both debt and key priorities, without placing additional pressure on national budgets. “Doing more with less is a myth. Without serious resources, Europe’s promises are empty,” stressed Siegfried Mureșan.

“We, as the Parliament, want to set our position as early as April so we do not waste time. A timely adoption of the budget is necessary for beneficiaries to access EU funding from the very beginning of the next financial period. The Parliament is ready to start negotiations and keep things moving quickly,” he concluded.