REPORT on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026

14.10.2025 - (11216/2025 – C10-0206/2025 – 2025/0210(BUD))

Part 1: Motion for a resolution
Committee on Budgets
Rapporteurs:  Andrzej Halicki (Section III – Commission)
 Matjaž Nemec (Other Sections)

Amendments

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MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 (11216/2025 – C10-0206/2025 – 2025/0210(BUD))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

– having regard to Article 106a of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

– having regard to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, whereby gender equality is a core value of the Union,

– having regard to Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, whereby ‘in all its activities, the Union shall aim to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality’; whereas this applies including to all levels of the budgetary process,

– having regard to Council Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 of 14 December 2020 on the system of own resources of the European Union and repealing Decision 2014/335/EU, Euratom[1],

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 22 December 2021 for a Council decision amending Decision (EU, Euratom) 2020/2053 on the system of own resources of the European Union (COM(2021)0570) and its position of 23 November 2022 on the proposal[2],

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027[3] and to the joint declarations agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission in this context[4] and the related unilateral declarations[5],

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 of 15 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[6],

– having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[7] (MFF revision),

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast)[8] (the Financial Regulation),

– having regard to its resolution of 2 April 2025 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2026 Budget - Section III[9],

– having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2020 on the draft Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[10],

– having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2023 on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027[11],

– having regard to its resolution of 27 February 2024 on the draft Council regulation amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[12],

– having regard to its resolution of 10 May 2023 on the impact on the 2024 EU budget of increasing European Union Recovery Instrument borrowing costs[13],

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget[14],

– having regard to its resolution of 3 April 2025 on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026[15],

– having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2022 on upscaling the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework: a resilient EU budget fit for new challenges[16],

– having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (IIA)[17],

– having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2025 and the joint statements agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed hereto,

– having regard to Article 349 TFEU and to Regulation (EU) No 228/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2013 establishing specific measures for agriculture in favour of the outermost regions of the Union[18],

– having regard to the Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights of 13 December 2017 and to its resolution of 19 January 2017 thereon[19],

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 (European Climate Law)[20],

– having regards to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,

– having regard to Enrico Letta’s report entitled ‘Much more than a market’, presented in the European Parliament on 21 October 2024,

– having regard to Mario Draghi’s report entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’, presented in the European Parliament on 17 September 2024,

– having regard to Sauli Niinistö’s report entitled ‘Safer together - Strengthening Europe’s civilian and military preparedness and readiness’, presented in the European Parliament on 14 November 2024,

– having regard to the presentation of the EU Competitiveness Compass by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 29 January 2025,

– having regard to the joint white paper of 19 March 2025 for European Defence Readiness providing a framework for the ReArm Europe plan (JOIN(2025)0120),

– having regard to Protocol No 6 on the location of the seats of the institutions annexed to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the 2012 Joint Statement and ‘Common Approach’ on EU Decentralised Agencies,

– having regard to the draft general budget of the European Union for the 2026 financial year, which the Commission published on 9 July 2025 (COM(2025)0300),

– having regard to the position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the 2026 financial year, which the Council adopted on 5 September 2025 and forwarded to Parliament on 12 September 2025 (11216/2025 – C10-0206/2025),

– having regard to Rule 96 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Development, Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, Committee on Public Health, Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Committee on Fisheries, Committee on Culture and Education,

– having regard to the letters from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Security and Defence, Committee on Budgetary Control, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, Committee on Transport and Tourism, Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0192/2025),

Section III – European Commission - Budget 2026: building a resilient, sustainable and prosperous future for Europe

1. Recalls that, in its resolution of 2 April 2025 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2026 budget, Parliament set clear political priorities for the 2026 budget; reaffirms its strong commitment to those priorities and sets out the following position to ensure an appropriate level of financing to deliver on them within the current very tight budgetary constraints; believes that the Union must be equipped with all possible budgetary means to deliver on Union priorities and to foster a prosperous future for Europe and its people;

2. Stresses that, in times of uncertainties stemming from geopolitical instability and heightened security threats as well as the rise in global protectionism and the worsening costs and effects of climate change and biodiversity crisis as well as well as economic and social challenges threatening European people and societies, a reliable, results- and investment-oriented as well as sustainable Union budget remains instrumental for the implementation of the Union’s policies, including cohesion, to provide the people in the Union, who are facing increasingly high costs of living, with a robust ecosystem and to deliver on their priorities; including by exploiting to the fullest possible extent the prevention as well as the crisis response capacity of the Union budget; emphasises that the Union budget must maintain an adequate level of ambition for the prosecution of Union’s policy priorities and to leverage private investment,

3. Emphasises that Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine has brought further substantial economic and social consequences for people across Europe, as well as worldwide, especially the most vulnerable, and in particular frontline countries and in Ukraine; recalls its unwavering support for the people in Ukraine and underlines the crucial role of common investment to maintaining a comprehensive and resolute response from the Union against unprecedented geopolitical challenges and including hybrid security threats;

4. Underlines that the MFF was not established to address a pandemic, a war, high inflation, high energy prices, food insecurity and ever worsening humanitarian crises, and that while the MFF revision represented an improvement compared to the initial situation, it failed to address all the issues identified at the time of the mid-term revision; deplores that the Union budget is still under pressure, with limited margins and flexibility, and without sufficient ambition for current priorities and also in important future-oriented policy areas; deplores, that, despite the MFF revision, overall ceilings and margins remain very low in the Financial Programming and the 2026 draft budget (DB), standing at zero in two headings (sub-heading 2b and heading 7) and close to zero in two other headings (sub-heading 2a and heading 5);

5. Considers that the Union budget, on account of its size, structure and rules, has a very limited capacity to respond appropriately in 2026 to the challenges facing the Union and has insufficient resources to adequately address the current economic, social, climate and environmental as well security challenges or to adequately finance and implement today’s priorities; recalls its long-standing position that new policy priorities or tasks should be accompanied by fresh money and that Union institutions and bodies, must be properly staffed and adequately resourced to fulfil their mandate and additional tasks; emphasises that all spending through the Union budget must be subject to parliamentary scrutiny;

6. Recalls the binding nature of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 on the protection of the Union budget; reiterates that the allocation and implementation of Union funds under all programmes and budgetary headings shall take place only in full respect of democratic principles, transparency and fundamental rights; stresses in particular that Member States and beneficiaries must have effective mechanisms in place to prevent, detect and remedy conflicts of interest at all levels of management, control and decision-making relating to Union funds and that the Union budget must be protected from any forms of conflict of interest;

7. Deplores that the Council, in its position which it calls “prudent”, proposes to cut commitment appropriations by EUR 1,3 billion across the MFF headings; stresses that, by applying such largely unjustified cuts across headings on programme lines to generate additional unallocated margins, the Council’s reading sticks to an approach that is not fit for purpose in times of crisis and very volatile political, economic and international environment; underlines that this approach is not based in the reality of current budgetary needs; strongly opposes the Council cuts targeting programmes that benefit from the adjustment provided for in Article 5 of the MFF Regulation for “rebalancing and stabilisation”, since that would contradict the objective of that MFF provision, which was to strengthen specific political priorities; considers in addition that many of the budgetary cuts from important programmes such as Erasmus+ are made with the sole intention of repaying the NGEU interest costs cutting precisely from funding for the next generation of Europeans that is supposed to benefit the most from such programmes and which goes against the objectives of the EURI cascade mechanism to not cutting programmes;

8. Underscores that the 2026 budget must be aligned with the Union’s objectives and international commitments; stresses the need for continuous work to achieve the climate and biodiversity mainstreaming targets for Union budget spending laid down in the IIA, as part of the broader process of making the Union climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest; recalls the target for biodiversity spending of 10 % for the years 2026 and 2027 and the target for climate spending of 30 %; regrets that the biodiversity target will not be met in 2026; stresses, furthermore, that the Union budget should be implemented in line with Article 33(2) of the Financial Regulation, therefore without doing significant harm to the environmental objectives, where feasible and appropriate in accordance with the relevant sector-specific rules; recalls that all Union programmes, policies and activities should be implemented in a way that promotes gender equality in the delivery of their objectives; notes, in this regard, the Commission’s work, in accordance with the IIA, to track gender equality-related spending, in particular through an ex-post gender impact assessment and reporting on volumes;

9. Welcomes the Commission's new efforts to present more options for new sources of revenue for the Union budget; in this respect, takes note of the Commission’s proposal for a Council Decision on the System of Own Resources of the European Union of 16 July 2025; stresses that new genuine own resources are essential not only to enable repayment of NGEU borrowing, but to ensure that the Union is equipped to cover its higher spending needs; calls on the Council to speed up its work on the new own resources;

10. Recalls that the decentralised agencies play an important role in the implementation of the Union’s current priorities; emphasises that the agencies’ resources, including both budgetary and human resources must sufficiently reflect the tasks obligated upon the agencies in their basic acts, and in the extensions of their mandates;

Special instruments and cascade mechanism

11. Notes that the 2026 budget will be the second full annual budgetary procedure under the revised MFF ceilings and rules; reminds that a certain level of redeployments, in particular under headings 1 and 6 was part of the MFF revision package; stresses its firm position to not see such reductions repeated or made worse in the annual procedure especially as margins have become extremely tight in the last years of implementation of the current MFF;

12. Notes, further, that the initial 2026 availabilities for the Single Margin Instrument for commitments (Article 11(1)(a) of the MFF Regulation) stand at EUR 748,2 million and that the Commission proposes to exhaust the SMI compartment (a) for heading 7 - European Public Administration; is concerned that as a result, a total amount of only EUR 132,5 million remains available for unforeseen expenditure in 2026, all of which under the Flexibility Instrument (assuming that no amount would still be mobilised in the course of 2025);

13. Underlines, once again, that repayment of the EURI borrowing costs is a legal obligation for the Union and a non-discretionary expenditure item in the Union budget; takes note with concern that the NGEU overrun costs, i.e. the needs for the EURI refinancing costs which have not been programmed from the outset, amount to EUR 4,225 billion for 2026, twice the Commission’s forecast, as specified in the Amending Letter (AL) 1/2026; notes that the Commission, in its DB and in AL 1/2026, following the outcome of the conciliation 2025 applies a 50:50 approach to the cascade mechanism, covering an amount of EUR 2,113 billion from the budget - i.e. 50 % of the cost overruns - stemming from the unallocated margin under sub-heading 2b for an amount of EUR 73 million and by the Flexibility Instrument for an amount of EUR 2 040 million, with the remaining half to be mobilised through the EURI instrument over and above the ceiling, covered by decommitments made since 2021;

14. Reiterates its position that before having recourse to the EURI special instrument, the budgetary authority is expected to examine the possibility for covering part of any shortfall within the headings and through the Flexibility and Single Margin Instruments; emphasises that this process must be objective and based on real needs and cannot be driven by any arbitrary benchmarks; intends, therefore, to ensure that all programmes are properly resourced and that the budget’s flexibility and response capacity is maintained throughout the annual budgetary procedure; strongly disagrees therefore with the Council’s approach to opt for what it calls “prudent” budgeting, creating artificial margins under the MFF ceilings at the expense of the implementation of previously agreed Union’s priorities; regrets that the Council, in its position on the 2026 budget, and similar to previous years, reduces appropriations dedicated for EURI borrowing costs without due justification; alerts that in order to create additional unallocated margins (mostly in sub-heading 2b but also in other headings, presumably in view of using it in future years through the SMI), sizeable reductions to a number of flagship programme envelopes have been proposed that have repercussions in 2026 as well as in 2027; stresses that the cuts in sub-heading 2b are particularly disconcerting as the only motivation is to use the money for financing EURI to the detriment of the people-centred nature of the programmes anchored in the same heading as EURI; recalls that the most affected programmes, Horizon Europe, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital and Erasmus, are well-established shared priorities for the European Parliament and the Council and flagship programmes of the Union; deplores furthermore that the Council targets for reductions are across several headings and even touch some programmes that were already subject to the MFF revision redeployments, such as Horizon, or lines that were topped up in previous years, such as Erasmus+, EU4Health or LIFE;

15. Recalls the joint statement to the IIA adopted as part of the 2020 MFF agreement, whereby expenditure to cover NGEU financing costs “shall aim at not reducing programmes and funds”; restores, therefore, all the cuts proposed by Council to ensure that programmes are properly resourced and that the budget’s flexibility and response capacity are maintained throughout the annual budgetary procedure; insists on the need for the Commission to provide reliable, timely and accurate information on NGEU borrowing costs and on expected Recovery and Resilience Facility disbursements throughout the budgetary procedure;

16. Is concerned by the fact that part of the EURI financing needs in 2026 is in fact due to the liquidity management cost of 2025; further notes that, for the first time, liquidity management costs have increased significantly due to delays and unpredictability of payment requests as the implementation of the recovery and resilience plans is slowing down in some Member States; underlines that the liquidity management costs are an additional burden in a context of extremely scarce resources; stresses that the currently estimated liquidity management cost of EUR 300 million for 2026 would consume approximately half of the overall availabilities (including margins and special instruments) of the DB without assurances that this is the most efficient and prudent way to manage the unpredictability of payment needs for the RRF; requests in this context that the liquidity management cost is isolated in a separate new budget line for transparency purposes; considers that this cost was never intended by the co-legislator to be included in the amounts subject to the 50 % benchmark within the cascade mechanism agreed during the MFF revision and further clarified in the 2025 conciliation; argues therefore that it should be financed solely from the decommitment compartment of the EURI instrument;

Heading 1 - Single market, Innovation and Digital

17. Recalls that programmes under heading 1 play a crucial role in supporting research and innovation in key sectors, including health, energy and climate, enhancing the Union’s competitiveness, driving sustainable growth, economic development and quality job creation with an emphasis on SMEs, boosting funding for cross-border infrastructure, in particular in the sustainable transport, energy and digital sectors, thus contributing significantly to the green and digital transitions;

18. Highlights the vital role that Horizon Europe plays in this context; recalls that the programme remains heavily over-subscribed and is therefore unable to support a large number of research projects evaluated as ‘excellent’; proposes, therefore, to increase allocations for the programme by a total of EUR 60 million compared to the DB, with reinforcements for the Cluster ‘Health’ to boost R&D, including research in areas such as cardiovascular diseases, lifestyles focusing on primary and secondary prevention as key objectives to increase life expectancy in the Union, cancer, antimicrobial resistance, non-communicable and rare diseases, palliative care, mitigating health risks, and mental health, as well as for the Cluster ‘Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society’ and the Cluster ‘Climate, Energy, Mobility’, with special attention and support to research projects in the area of decarbonisation in Europe;

19. Calls on increasing the CEF Energy investments for an improved functioning and a deeper integration of energy markets, through modernisation of cross-border infrastructure, enhanced transmission via distribution grids and interconnections, better integration and larger investments in renewables and energy efficiency, including to reduce high electricity prices broadening of clean energy supply, while significantly reducing Union’s dependence on fossil fuels, enhancing security of supply, mitigating price volatility and improving energy security and enabling the Union to achieve its decarbonisation objectives for 2030 and 2050; proposes, in this regard, to increase appropriations for CEF Energy by EUR 50 million above the DB; believes that these measures will contribute to the Union’s objectives lowering energy costs to households and companies in Europe and to achieve the fair transition;

20. Recalls that CEF is key for the Union’s overall security and for boosting investment in high-performance sustainable trans-European networks, and thereby promoting interconnectivity as well as for supporting the completion of TEN-T; highlights that CEF Transport remains largely oversubscribed and calls for additional investments to support research, development of cutting-edge technologies and innovation in transport infrastructure and digital connectivity ; stresses that additional investment is needed to ensure a fully operational TEN-T network, support research, innovation and cutting-edge technologies in transport infrastructure, deploy alternative fuels and digital connectivity, strengthen the Union’s solidarity lanes with Ukraine in border regions, and enhance the resilience of critical infrastructure, competitiveness and cohesion, also taking into account the need for investment into climate and environmentally friendly cross-border transport infrastructure such as rail projects and improvement and investment in clean mobility; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for CEF Transport by EUR 30 million above the DB;

21. Stresses that a well-functioning Single Market is critical for the Union’s competitiveness and for enhancing access to markets for Union businesses, especially SMEs and young entrepreneurs; emphasises the importance of supporting SMEs as the main drivers of the European economy ; opposes Council's cuts and calls on a budgetary reinforcement to further support European SMEs, start-ups and young entrepreneurs in their competitiveness, resilience and their access to market, in line with the objectives of the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy, announced by the Commission; proposes an increase of EUR 4 million above the DB for the SME strand of the Single Market programme, to enhance technological advancement, competitiveness and economic resilience;

22. Reiterates the substantial investment needs in forward-looking digital infrastructure, underpinned by well-regulated, human-centred and trustworthy artificial intelligence and cybersecurity; stresses in this context the need to improve digital skills to match the needs of companies and to equip citizens to counter disinformation; proposes therefore an increase of EUR 4 million to the Skills strand of the Digital Europe Programme;

23. Recalls the important role played by the decentralised agencies under heading 1, including the Agency for the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC), whose work is relevant for safeguarding the Union’s digital and communications networks; decides to reinforce BEREC by EUR 0,67 million above the DB to support the agency and strengthen the Union’s broader institutional resilience at a moment when this is increasingly tested;

24. Proposes to provide the necessary human resources to the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), key in countering the growing hybrid threats posed by the Russian Federation, to ensure it can fully deliver on its mandate in the evolving geopolitical context in light of the fact that adequate staffing is essential to ensure its critical functions are effectively carried out;

25. Reinforces heading 1 by EUR 148 696 914 in commitment appropriations above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 636 944 317 compared to the Council reading;

Sub-heading 2a - Economic, social and territorial cohesion

26. Underlines the important role cohesion policy plays in delivering on Union policy priorities, improving peoples’ quality of life and boosting the Union economy by contributing to fair and sustainable growth and development, promoting economic and social convergence between countries and regions, notably mountainous, insular and outermost regions, supporting the green and digital transitions, fostering investments, innovation and employment and addressing regional, economic and social disparities and inequalities; recognises that the mid-term review of cohesion brought increased flexibility; reiterates nevertheless that cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool and, therefore, should not be called on to make up for shortcomings of funding in other policies and priorities, in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms to the detriment of its long-term policy objectives; calls on the Commission and all Member States to maintain the cruising speed of implementation of cohesion policy, in parallel to the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility;

27. Welcomes the recent acceleration in the execution of operational programmes in the Member States and regions and calls on Member States to continue to provide the necessary administrative capacity at all levels of governance; insists on the importance of ensuring funds accessibility to achieve absorption; calls on the Commission to do its utmost to protect the legitimate interests of final beneficiaries and to ensure that final beneficiaries can continue to benefit from Union funding in cases of breaching the rule of law by national governments, without weakening the application of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 and while maintaining the Member States’ payment obligation under the Union law;

28. Accepts the Council position with respect to sub-heading 2a;

Sub-heading 2b - Resilience and values

29. Underlines that the expenditure programmes under sub-heading 2b have to share the already tight resources and margins with the EURI budget line which covers the NGEU interest costs, and that this has de facto prevented the Commission from proposing reinforcements where they are needed; is determined to cover these interest costs in a reliable and transparent manner while safeguarding programme allocations in this sub-heading;

30. Is alarmed by the ever-growing impact of natural disasters often linked to worsening climate change and are thus likely to occur with even greater frequency; underlines that in light of the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural disasters, effective Union coordination, preventive measures and robust disaster response capacities across Member States are all the more required; stresses that the RescEU mechanism has so far proven to be an instrumental and successful Union instrument in responding to crisis situations; notes that the Union action in this context responds to high citizens’ expectations; emphasises the need to significantly increase the funding of the Union's capacities to ensure effective disaster prevention, preparedness and rapid response capabilities and coordination and cross-border preparedness; highlights that investing in prevention and early detection protects lives and is more efficient than responding to crises; decides therefore to increase funding for the Union Civil Protection Mechanism by EUR 30 million;

31. Underlines the importance of a stronger Health Union and enhanced protection, prevention, preparedness and response against human health hazards; highlights the vital role that the EU4Health programme plays in this respect, as well as in supporting actions that enhance the availability, accessibility and affordability of medicinal products, medical devices, crisis-relevant products and hospital infrastructures, as well as supporting Member States’ actions to promote access to sexual and reproductive health, rights and services, especially considering the backlash against women’s rights in several Member States; underlines that the Union’s public health needs are steadily increasing in light of the increased demographic pressure; highlights the programme's crucial role in strengthening health resilience and preparedness for future health crises, recalls the importance of reinforcing the cross-border healthcare cooperation; proposes to increase the programme’s appropriations by EUR 5 million above the DB to support investments with a focus on cardiovascular diseases, by focusing on primary and secondary prevention as key objectives to increase life expectancy in the Union, cancer, rare diseases, paediatric diseases, mental health, including youth mental health, and the issue of antimicrobial resistance;

32. Reiterates its unwavering support for promoting the learning mobility of young people and researchers; proposes to reinforce, against this background, the Union flagship programme Erasmus+, which consistently contributes to the priorities of long-term competitiveness, employability, knowledge, innovation and resilience, directly benefitting citizens, including learners and young people and engaging them in Europe's democratic life; emphasises that the programme is required by law to put in place measures to make grants schemes fairer and more accessible and boost participation rates among people with fewer opportunities and from disadvantaged backgrounds across the entire continent also in the context of high costs of living and inflationary context and calls for a readjustment of Erasmus+ grants to account for higher inflation and higher living costs; proposes, therefore, an increase of EUR 5 million for Erasmus+, specifically to ensure that the programme is accessible to all; rejects the proposed budget cuts of EUR 257 million by the Council as reckless and unjustified;

33. Calls on the Commission to take the necessary measures to ensure that the Hungarian government respects its obligation towards final recipients, in line with the Conditionality regulation; highlights, in addition, that in the face of persistent non-compliance by the Hungarian government with this obligation, the appropriations under Erasmus + should also be used by the Commission for an alternative solution benefitting Hungarian students; underlines that any alternative solution shall be implemented without weakening the application of the implementing decision of 15 December 2022[21] under Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092, which is a consistent and lawful application of that Regulation;

34. Underscores the continued socio-economic challenges in the cultural and creative sectors, which are often made up of small organisations and individual artists, and the key role of these sectors in combatting disinformation, threats to democracy, enhancing media literacy and promoting and protecting media freedom and pluralism as the basis for a functioning democracy; highlights that Creative Europe is one of the key programmes dedicated to the cultural and creative sectors, and has strong results and high oversubscription proposes to increase financing for the cross-sectoral strand of the Creative Europe programme by a total of EUR 2,5 million above the DB;

35. Reiterates the indispensable role of the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme in promoting European values and citizens’ rights, in fostering active civic engagement, in building resilient societies, in raising awareness on disinformation, in combatting gender-based violence, notably violence against women, girls and the LGBTQI+ community and in supporting the key principles of democracy, the rule of law, solidarity, inclusiveness, justice, non-discrimination and equality; underlines that active and empowered civil society is key for democracy and the democratic life of our societies; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the programme by EUR 2,5 million above the DB; in order to provide, inter alia, direct funding to civil society organisations working closest to the citizens at local, national and Union level, to protect and promote Union values and to counter democratic backsliding;

36. Highlights the growing threat posed by disinformation and foreign information manipulation to the Union’s democratic processes, stresses the need to support local media, strengthen fact checking, investigative journalism, quality content production and media literacy initiative in all Member States;

37. Recalls the need to reinforce the support to Employment and Innovation initiatives as well as initiatives supporting labour mobility and social justice, in pursuance of the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights; underlines, furthermore, the need for effective social dialogue and proper information and training for workers’ organisations; proposes in this regard to reinforce the financing for the ESF+ under the Employment and Social Innovation strand by EUR 2,5 million, including in order of support promotion of socio-economic inclusion of disadvantaged groups and the financing for the information and training measures for workers’ organisations by EUR 2 million;

38. Recalls that families, particularly those that include children or dependants in their care, are facing financing difficulties and bearing the burden of expenditure; stresses, that they must be the subject of special attention in the relevant aspects of the Union budget and of the European Pillar of Social Rights’ priorities;

39. Demands an increase of the support to the Turkish-Cypriot line by EUR 1 million above DB in order to finance the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus and support the bi-communal Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage;

40. Recalls the important role played by the decentralised agencies under sub-heading 2b, including the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) that has to deal with an increased casework and additional needs in digitalisation and global partnerships, stresses, in this regard, the central role that the EPPO plays in protecting the Union’s budget and financial interests, in ensuring compliance with the rule of law, which requires adequate levels of financial and human resources; as well as the European Institute for Gender Equality which plays a key role in achieving the equality objectives of the Union; therefore reinforces the Agencies’ funding by respectively EUR 6 million, EUR 3 million and EUR 1 million to ensure their sustainable operations;

41. Considers that the activities of the EPPO do in themselves not only contribute to the protection of the Union’s financial interests, but also have the potential to recover amounts of the Union budget that were not used for its intended purpose due to criminal activities; considers that amounts resulting from seizing and confiscating measures adopted by the European Delegated Prosecutors in the Member States could, after deduction of costs incurred by the Member States’ authorities to implement these measures, flow back into the Union budget, in line with Article 38 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939[22]; proposes therefore to create a new revenue line for ‘Receipts of seizing and confiscating measures adopted by the EPPO;

42. Reinforces sub-heading 2b overall by EUR 60 500 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB levels (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 835 089 901 compared to the Council reading;

Heading 3 - Natural Resources and Environment

43. Recalls that the agricultural programmes under heading 3 play a key role in bolstering support for farmers, notably the younger generation, across the Union, in particular given the farmers' discontent, and given the critical role that agriculture plays in food security; underlines that farmers are facing important challenges such as geopolitical disruptions, extreme weather conditions, epizootic diseases, market volatility, the transition to more sustainable practices, rural poverty, and administrative burdens; stresses the crucial role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in this regard and recalls the objectives under Article 39 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which include increasing agricultural productivity by promoting technical progress, optimum utilisation of the factors of productions, ensuring a reasonable standard of living for farmers and farm workers, guaranteeing food security and assuring the availability of supplies and reasonable prices for consumers;

44. Reiterates its concern about the negative impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on global food security and affordability and input prices as well as the negative impact of extreme heath, droughts, forest fires and other extreme, climate change induced, weather patterns on the agricultural sector; emphasises the need to help  young farmers and new entrants as well as small and medium-sized farmers with additional means and thereby ensuring the sustainability of the sector and generational renewal; proposes, therefore, to increase complementary income support to young farmers by EUR 23 million above the DB;

45. Emphasises that farmers and rural communities, including the younger generation are vital contributors to healthy and nutritious food, such as fruits and vegetables, food security and that they play a key role in the preservation of rural areas and in countering the depopulation of the most remote areas; stresses the need to reverse Council’s cuts under the agricultural programmes, particularly in light of rising food prices and the growing challenges to food security; recalls that regional and local economies are dependent on tourism, agriculture, fisheries and forestry and are especially sensitive to climatic changes and stresses the need for additional Union investment in rural infrastructure, including roads, rail lines, digital connectivity, tourism and access to essential services such as healthcare and education;

46. Calls for maintaining a strong budget for the promotion of agricultural products as this programme is essential to increase awareness and recognition of Union quality schemes as well as the competitiveness of Union agricultural products; decides, therefore, to expand funding for farmers by increasing the allocation of this budget line under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) by EUR 30 million above the DB;

47. Underscores that trade policy and agricultural policy must be designed in an integrated manner in order to respect fair competition and international trade commitments as well as Union’s global food security responsibilities and environmental and climate policy objectives; stresses in this regard that the framework agreement with the United States on transatlantic tariffs will increase pressure on European farmers notably in sensitive sectors such as the wine sector which is already facing significant challenges; therefore proposes to increase the allocation of the budget line dedicated to the wine sector under the EAGF by EUR 15 million above the DB;

48. Recalls that fisheries, aquaculture and fishing products processing sectors are fundamental pillars of the economic, social and cultural fabric of Union coastal and island communities and outermost regions and that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is a fundamental funding programme for fishers, aquaculture producers, food security, the cohesion of coastal and island communities, the modernisation of the Union’s fleet and the generational renewal; emphasises the importance of continuing the Union’s zero tolerance approach with strong actions against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, led by the example and work for achieving global sustainable fisheries, ensuring compliance by all countries of shared rules, promoting a level playing field, and promoting economically, environmentally and socially sustainable fisheries; highlights the importance of POSEI and success of its implementation; stresses, however, that the POSEI budget allocations have not been revised since 2013;

49. Underlines the important role that the LIFE programme plays in supporting climate adaptation and mitigation, in delivering on the European Green Deal and achieving the Union’s climate neutrality commitment, in line with the Paris Agreement, by investing in nature and biodiversity, reducing emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy and creating a circular economy, protecting ecosystems and reversing the trend of biodiversity loss; emphasises in this context that the biodiversity budget line of the LIFE programme is oversubscribed and the Union’s biodiversity expenditure target of 10 % for 2026 is not expected to be met; emphasises likewise the role of the LIFE programme in accelerating the clean energy transition; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations for the clean energy transition strand by EUR 15 million above the DB and for the nature and biodiversity strand by EUR 15 million above the DB; notes the new guidelines by the Commission on grant agreements under the LIFE program and recalls, in line with Article 11 TEU, that an active dialogue with civil society is vital for fostering an active civic space, ensuring accountability and transparency and informing policymakers about best practices;

50. Reverses all the cuts unduly made by the Council under heading 3, by restoring the DB levels for all other lines; recalls that, as usual, AL 1/2026 completed the picture regarding available resources under the EAGF and that the approach to amendments can be adjusted accordingly in the course of the conciliation;

51. Reinforces heading 3 by EUR 98 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB (excluding pilot projects and preparatory actions) and by EUR 115 704 728 compared to the Council reading;

Heading 4 - Migration and Border Management

52. Underlines that armed conflicts, instability in neighbouring regions, as well as poverty and underlying trends in economic development, demographic changes, and the consequences of climate change, continue to create migration flows towards the Union, requiring a significant response from programmes and agencies under heading 4;

53. Reiterates the importance of ensuring proper implementation of the Asylum and Migration Pact, in full compliance with international human rights law, and of respecting the principles of solidarity and the fair sharing of responsibility; notes that adequate funding for the effective protection of the Union’s external borders, inland, air and maritime, for combatting irregular immigration, and for enhancing the capacity for asylum and return processing, is essential for the proper functioning of the Schengen area and for bolstering the security of the Union and its citizens; emphasises the necessity for predictable financial support to Union’s borders;

54. Underlines the importance for Member States to comply with their commitments, including upholding the obligations enshrined in national, Union and international legislation, the right to asylum, and ensuring effective, management and protection of the Union’s external borders, as well as effective, safe and dignified reception, integration and return and readmission procedures; underlines the need to fight criminal networks, migrant smuggling and trafficking, to better protect vulnerable people and address the negative effects of the instrumentalisation of migrants as part of hybrid attacks as defined in the Crisis Regulation[23], notably by pro-Russian forces; recalls the crucial role Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) plays in that regard; proposes therefore to increase appropriations for the BMVI by EUR 30 million above the DB; points in this regard to the recently politically agreed revision of the Europol Regulation[24] , in order to strengthen Europol's role, pending adoption by the co-legislators;

55.  Notes that additional financing is needed under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) in order to ensure an appropriate implementation of the Asylum and Migration Pact, further boost national capacities and improve procedures for migration management; decides, therefore, to reinforce the AMIF by EUR 10 million above the DB;

56. Highlights the need for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) to have the requisite resources to carry out its tasks in accordance with its mandate - border control activities at the Union’s external borders, assistance to national authorities with border monitoring and surveillance and other tasks related to coast guard activities, such as search and rescue, return operations, sharing intelligence and expertise with all Member States as well as third countries affected by migratory trends and cross-border crime; decides therefore to refuse the Council’s unjustified cut and restore appropriations to the levels of the DB; calls on the Agency to continue to improve is efficiency and effectiveness in terms of resource management;

57. Reinforces heading 4 overall by EUR 40 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB and by EUR 61 000 000 compared to the Council reading;

Heading 5 - Security and Defence

58. Recalls the highly unstable geopolitical situation and international environment around the Union giving rise to greater security and defence challenges since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine; underlines the need for the Union and its Member States to significantly enhance Union-level cooperation of their armed forces and their defence industries in order to create a genuine capabilities-based defence Union and to better prepare for and respond to current warfare strategies, unprecedented geopolitical challenges and hybrid security threats; highlights, in particular, the need for adequate financial support to Member States with external Union borders and especially those with a land border with Russia and/or Belarus, to ensure they have the resources to maintain facilities and installations necessary to secure the external borders of the Union, including electronic border security enhancements and other tools for border monitoring and surveillance; considers that there is broad understanding that the current Union budget is too limited to meet the needs for ensuring the security of Europeans in the short and long term; therefore supports the full use of the 2024 MFF revision increase in heading 5 in order to continue better cooperation and coordination between Member States, including measures guaranteeing full interoperability and making joint procurement the rule;

59. Calls for the establishment of European Maritime Security Hubs in the Black Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea, as a matter of priority in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and underlines that such hubs should enhance maritime situational awareness, enable real-time monitoring from space to seabed and strengthen early warning capacities and reactions to the increased threats from the Russian shadow fleet, while ensuring the security of commercial routes; stresses that it must coordinate existing Union and NATO actions, including demining, and manage financial resources to support the development of maritime infrastructure; considers that locating these hubs in the Black Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea is essential for safeguarding Union security and deepening coordination with NATO;

60. Reiterates that the protection of external border of the Union is crucial, and therefore the military mobility programme is essential to the Union’s defence preparedness and the protection of its citizens in light of the shifting security environment, the increasing need for connectivity via rail, road, sea, and air; highlights the benefits of dual-use projects that also contribute to civilian connectivity, economic recovery, and decarbonisation; points out that the dual-use nature of these investments also produces a positive effect on the general transport infrastructure in the Union; underlines that the programme is oversubscribed and has substantial absorption capacity especially in borderline regions at the frontier with Ukraine and the Russian Federation, which require reinforced infrastructure to cope with heightened security needs; decides, therefore, to increase appropriations for military mobility by EUR 35 million above the DB;

61. Stresses that cybersecurity must be treated as a transversal, coherent and coordinated priority within the Union’s security and defence policy; strongly supports Union’s efforts to tackle rising security threats such as the spread of disinformation, including online disinformation, fake news campaigns against the Union, terrorism, radicalisation and violent extremism within the Union and its neighbouring countries;

62. Decides to restore the nuclear safeguards budget line to the level proposed in the DB in order avoid endangering the programme implementation;

63. Recalls the crucial role played by decentralised agencies operating in the field of security and law enforcement, in particular with regard to the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol); proposes a targeted staffing and financial reinforcement to allow the Agency to properly perform its tasks;

64. Reinforces heading 5 overall by EUR 52 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB and the Council reading;

Heading 6 - Neighbourhood and the World

65. Welcomes that the MFF revision in 2024 provided for additional funding under heading 6; deplores, however, the fact that this revision fell short of the needs identified by Parliament, including the Sub-Saharan Africa where the minimum amounts set in the NDICI Regulation[25] are not met and the infrastructure needs are very big; regrets that various budget lines under heading 6 see considerable decreases in the DB as compared to the budget 2025 and in particular for humanitarian aid in contradiction with ever-increasing needs; acknowledges the limited margin available under this heading and the resulting small room for manoeuvre;

66. Reiterates its full support to Ukraine in the fight for its territorial integrity, freedom and democracy; deplores the terrible loss of lives and the suffering of the Ukrainian people caused by Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression;

67. Underlines the importance of the Southern Neighbourhood line in supporting political, economic and social reforms in the region and in meeting increased humanitarian needs as well as for other purposes of regional cooperation; proposes to increase appropriations for the line by EUR 35 million above the DB, with the aim of increasing funding to UNRWA given its vital role in delivering humanitarian aid and essential services like health and education to Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the wider region, to support reconstruction in Gaza, and to strengthen humanitarian and economic assistance in Syria, with support programmes addressing infrastructure reconstruction, accountability mechanisms, reinforcing the space for civil society and social stability in the country and to support ethnic and religious minorities in the Middle East;

68. Stresses that the Eastern Neighbourhood continues to be significantly affected by the Russian war of aggression, with countries providing shelter and assistance to refugees fleeing the war, experiencing hybrid threats by Russia and Belarus, and facing direct knock-on effects on their economies; stresses the need for targeted financial and technical assistance to help these countries be more resilient through stabilising their economies, improving citizens' socio-economic situation, and strengthening public infrastructure amidst these pressures; underlines the importance of supporting countries where, due to the recent suspension or redirection of US democracy and humanitarian assistance funding, including from USAID and the State Department's DRL bureau, many independent civil society organisations and media outlets, including Radio Free Europe, in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia have been forced to scale down, suspend, or close, which threatens democratic development and increases the vulnerability of these societies to authoritarian and Russian influence, and to increase support for independent civil society and media facing funding gaps, including Belarus-related outlets operating from the Union, to strengthen resilience against authoritarian influence; proposes, therefore, to increase appropriations by EUR 25 million above the DB for the Eastern Neighbourhood to address these complex challenges;

69. Shares the Council’s assessment that the needs for humanitarian aid are increasingly high; considers that, given the highly challenging international context, increasing geopolitical instability, escalating conflicts, accelerating humanitarian crises around the globe, rising extreme poverty and hunger, and the ongoing climate change-induced emergencies, humanitarian aid needs in 2026 are likely to be much higher than estimated by the Council and the Commission while the financial appropriations profile is decreasing and points out that the Union’s humanitarian aid budget has relied heavily on the Emergency Aid Reserve (EAR) for structural reasons reducing the Union’s ability to respond to emergencies; regrets that the modest increase proposed by the Council is made at the expense of other essential budget lines within heading 6; proposes, therefore, taking into account the limited margin available and in addition to restoring all of the cuts unduly made by the Council, to increase appropriations for humanitarian aid by EUR 50 million compared to the DB and regrets that the lack of available margin under heading 6 and flexibility does not allow for further reinforcement;

70. Welcomes the fact that the introduction of the Ukraine Facility, Western Balkan and Moldova Facilities over the MFF ceilings provides a stable basis for support for those countries and releases some pressure on the availabilities within heading 6, particularly the Eastern Neighbourhood;

71. Wishes to add a new budget line dedicated to the Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova; argues that this is the prerogative of the budgetary authority and is in line with the requirement set out in the Financial Regulation for budget nomenclature to comply with the principles of specification, sound financial management and transparency; believes that the creation of such a budget line is justified due to the fact that as a rule, each chapter of the Union budget shall correspond to a programme or an activity, in order to allow the budgetary authority to oversee and control the implementation of programmes and activities independently from one another;

72. Overall, reinforces heading 6 by EUR 110 000 000 in commitment appropriations above the DB and the Council reading;

Heading 7 - European Public Administration

73. Recalls that spending under heading 7 should be set at a level that guarantees that the Union has an effective and efficient administration; considers that the Council’s cuts in this heading are unjustified and would not allow the Commission to fulfil its tasks; restores therefore the DB for the Commission administrative expenditure, including with respect to the executive agencies and the Translation Centre for the Bodies of the EU (CdT);

74. Notes the concerns about JSIS and its implementation; criticises that vulnerable persons do not receive adequate guidance and support; regrets the insufficient and outdated treatment catalogue for certain conditions and illnesses and regrets the severe lack of contact persons for the staff of the institutions; calls on the PMO to include innovative and modern diagnosis and treatment methods and to boost prevention, treatment and rehabilitation;

Pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs)

75. Recalls the importance of pilot projects and preparatory actions (PP-PAs) as tools for the formulation of political priorities and the introduction of new initiatives that have the potential to turn into standing Union activities and programmes; adopts, following a careful analysis of all the proposals submitted and taking fully into account the Commission's assessment of their compliance with legal requirements and implementability, a balanced package of PP-PAs that reflects Parliament’s political priorities; calls on the Commission to swiftly implement PP-PAs and provide feedback on their performance and results delivered on the ground;

Payments

76. Underlines the need to provide a sufficient level of payment appropriations in the 2026 budget and decides, as a general rule, to reinforce payment appropriations on those lines which are amended in commitment appropriations;

Other Sections

Section I - European Parliament

77. Maintains unchanged the overall level of its budget for 2026 set at EUR 2 636 241 620, in line with its estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026;

78. Reiterates the Parliament’s priorities for the forthcoming financial year, namely, continuing reinforcing the administrative support for Parliament to exercise its core functions of co-legislator, budgetary and discharge authority, the digital transformation and cybersecurity, including investments in  artificial intelligence, achieving the Green parliament, as well as continuing supporting multilingualism;

79. In line with its resolution of 3 April 2025 on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026 and taking into account the answers provided by the Secretary-General of the Parliament on 3 September 2025:

(a) welcomes the reforms of DG INLO, DG ITEC, DG COMM and DG TRAD aiming at streamlining the services provided while offering more effective support to Members; takes note of further ongoing simplification initiatives being pursued by the administration and that an Action Plan was issued in June 2025 in this context; asks the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with estimation on the simplification impact achieved, comparing the actual results with the expected outcomes and then semestrial updates on the progress of that Action Plan with the impact in terms of budget and staff; recalls the importance of rationalising bureaucratic processes; welcomes therefore that several actions aiming at reducing administrative burdens for Members and facilitating their human resources management are on-going;

(b) highlights the potential of AI to gain efficiencies and streamline administrative processes; welcomes the establishment of an AI Governance Board, an AI Inter-DG Steering Group, and an AI Centre of Competence (DG ITEC) while avoiding overlaps between different entities; calls for the implementation roadmap to provide solutions, such as applications and tools, to Members and staff and to be made available as soon as possible, while keeping in mind the related risks, including ethics and data protection; calls on the Bureau to evaluate the possibility of using AI tools, in particular for data analysis as part of the legislative process to support committee work; underlines that in developing and deploying AI applications, the Parliament's IT services should rely on European solutions in order to reduce dependency on non-Union providers for its own security;

(c) welcomes that the Parliament is progressing in its commitment to environmental sustainability, aiming to achieve a 55 % reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) by the end of 2028 compared to 2006; recalls that nearly two-thirds of Parliament's carbon footprint originate from the transportation of people; takes note that Parliament’s services are currently reviewing mission practices and revising staff mission rules with the overall goal of enhancing the effectiveness of staff missions and further diminishing their financial and environmental impact; asks that the revision of the staff mission rules, which should also reduce administrative burden, be finalised as soon as possible; points out that the increase in seat capacity in the charter train between Brussels and Strasbourg is expected to further reduce emissions; takes note that a travel emissions calculation tool will be available by end of 2025 to enable staff, Members, and Parliament’s visitors to make more informed travel choices;

(d) welcomes that by the end of 2024, the Parliament’s total energy production from solar photovoltaic (PV) has increased substantially by 1040 % since 2020; points out that the installation of PV in WEISS building is very difficult due to its structural design and would not warrant the investment; welcomes at the same time the installation of PVs in seven additional Parliament buildings in 2024, including in Strasbourg; emphasises that decisions on the sourcing of energy must be both ecologically sustainable and financially sound, in line with the applicable legislation;

(e) points out that multilingualism is a fundamental principle that makes the content of deliberations in the Union institutions more accessible and transparent, and ensures that proceedings are democratic; agrees that any AI solutions should ensure equal quality for all official languages of the Union; expects to be informed about the output of the revision of the Code of Conduct for Multilingualism due by the end of 2025;

(f)  acknowledges that the decision to renovate the SPAAK building is the occasion to ensure the full compliance with applicable environmental and safety requirements; requests the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with detailed information on a possible loan to cover the costs of the SPAAK building renovation, in accordance with Article 272(6) of the Financial Regulation, as soon as possible as well as the full planning of the works including the planning of the costs; takes note of the estimation of the costs of several preparatory actions to vacate the SPAAK building by 2027 with a temporary and permanent character; underlines that the total costs indicated in the Secretary-General’s answers mentioned above amount to EUR 28 million, mainly for DGs INLO, ITEC, LINC, SAFE; asks the Secretary-General and the Parliament’s services to find cost-effective solutions, including taking into account the infrastructures available in Strasbourg; recalls that, according to the Treaty on European Union, Parliament is to have its seat in Strasbourg; notes that permanent changes would require a Treaty change for which unanimity is needed;

(g) reiterates that Europa Experiences are an integral part of Parliament’s ongoing engagement with Union citizens; welcomes the adjusted concept of Europa Experiences as approved by the Bureau on 31 March 2025, to be more cost-efficient and more attractive to visitors; calls on the Secretary-General to update the Committee on Budgets about the savings following the implementation of this revised concept; reiterates its calls for the establishment of Europa Experiences in all Member States as soon as possible;

(h) highlights the role played by European Parliament Liaison Offices (EPLOs) in countering foreign interference and disinformation; takes note that the Bureau Working Group on Communication Outreach and Research endorsed and updated the strategy to counter dis-and misinformation; takes note of the actions taken by the services in that regard; expects that such activities are further strengthened, including the close cooperation with other Union institutions, such as Commission and the European External Action Service and security services in Member States;

(i) strongly condemns the brutal attack on the EU delegation in Kyiv from 28 August 2025 hit by Russian missiles; luckily no staff member was harmed; welcomes the decision by the Parliament to open a permanent office of the European Parliament in Kyiv highlighting the ongoing commitment of the Parliament towards Ukraine; highlights the importance of continuous reinforcement of Parliament’s buildings security in all locations, as well as the security in all Union institutions;

(j) welcomes the recent initiatives endorsed by the Conference of Presidents and the Bureau to allow Members in the perinatal period to entrust their vote by proxy;

(k) reiterates its request for an impact assessment on the need to establish and equip a Strasbourg-like nursery (salle familiale) within the premises of the Parliament in Brussels to reinforce the institution’s commitment for family-friendly workplace policies;

(l) welcomes the measures that the Parliament has taken in order achieve a better geographical balance among Member States across all staff levels such as increasing its participation in career events, prioritising underrepresented Member States and organising nationality-specific competitions without compromising on its commitment to a strictly merit-based selection process;

80. Recalls the opinion of the Committee on Budgetary Control for the Bureau on the political group Identity and Democracy - Dissolution and final financial report 2024; recalls DG FINS’s findings that at least EUR 4 333 635,78 were unduly spent by the group over the 2019-2024 term, resulting in a significant damage to the budget and reputation of Parliament; welcomes the opinion of the Committee on Budgetary Control calling for the required procedures with a view to recover the full amount of ineligible expenditure without delay and to assess the potential liabilities of the responsible Members and hierarchy for intentional or gross-negligent authorisation of irregular expenditure;

81. Takes note of the early termination of the service contract concerning the SPINELLI self-serving canteen and welcomes the agreement reached to ensure continuity of business as well as certainty for the affected external staff; takes note that the agreement re-introduces for the first time since 2015 a subsidy for Parliament’s canteen services and asks the administration to keep the Committee on Budgets informed of the impact for the budget 2026 of this measure; invites the administration to seek, together with the service provider, technical and operational solutions to ensure long-term profitable operations of the SPINELLI self-serving canteen that avoid the use of subsidies, while maintaining a high quality, diverse and affordable offer as well as decent working conditions for staff;

82. Recalls that the Parliament has, since 2018, consistently voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of lifting the overall ban on the participation of APAs in official delegations and missions; regrets that the Secretary-General and the Conference of Presidents continue to ignore the will of the majority of this House; reiterates its call on the competent bodies to amend the relevant provisions of its internal rules to allow, under certain conditions, the participation of APAs in official missions and delegations outside Parliament’s three places of work as a matter of urgency;

Other Sections (Sections IV-X)

83. Reiterates its deep concerns with the situation of heading 7 of the current MFF; recalls that the constraints are the results of the cuts applied by the Council to the Commission’s already very low initial proposal when agreeing on the current MFF 2021-2027; regrets the Council’s opposition to the Commission’s proposal to increase the ceiling of heading 7 in the MFF revision as from 2024; points to the failure to address the issue of the ceiling of heading 7 in the MFF revision; highlights that the forecasted negative margin for 2026 presupposes the use of special instruments in heading 7 for that purpose;

84. Condemns the Commission’s horizontal approach to reduce the estimates of the institutions in order to adhere to the principle of stable staffing, and to a maximum increase of 2 % for non-salary related expenditure irrespective of new tasks given to the institutions by the Commission and the co-legislators; underlines the negative consequences of this approach on the work of the institutions;

85. Highlights that the largest parts of the institutions’ budgets are fixed by statutory or contractual obligations and impacted by inflation;

86. Highlights the need for the institutions to have sufficient staff in order to fulfil their mandate and adapt to challenges; welcomes the continuous efforts made by the institutions to redeploy staff and find additional efficiency gains but acknowledges the limits of this approach over the years; stresses the inevitability of reinforcing the amount of staff when necessary in order for the institutions to fulfil their mandates;

87. Increases, for the following duly justified cases, the level of appropriations or staff above the DB in order to give the institutions enough resources to perform adequately, efficiently and effectively the growing number of tasks from their mandate and to be equipped for the upcoming challenges, in particular as regards cyber-security and artificial intelligence; highlights that most of the issues are recurrent issues that were not solved in previous budgetary procedures; proposes therefore to:

(a) restore the level of appropriations in line with the estimates of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Ombudsman, by increasing the level of appropriations above the DB for budgetary lines that cover cyber-security and operational needs; recalls that the European Ombudsman is facing a growing number of complex complaints and is launching more proactive investigations into transparency, ethics, and accountability in Union institutions;

(b) restore the level of appropriations partially in line with the estimates of the European Economic and Social Committee, the European Committee of the Regions, the European Data Protection Supervisor and European Data Protection Board and the European External Action Service by increasing the appropriations above the DB for budgetary lines covering building security, particularly in delegations, cyber-security and operational needs;

(c) increase the establishment plans above the DB with the corresponding appropriations in line with the institutions’ requests for the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Committee of the Regions;  restore  the establishment plan in line with the estimates of the European Court of Auditors and the European Data Protection Board; finally, increase the establishment plans above the DB partially in line with the institutions’ requests for the European Economic and Social Committee and the European Data Protection Supervisor, to enable them to face increasing workload and cyber-security challenges.

o

o o

88. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, together with the amendments to the draft general budget, to the Council, the Commission, the other institutions and bodies concerned and the national parliaments.

ANNEX: DECLARATIONS OF INPUT

DECLARATION OF INPUT FROM ANDRZEJ HALICKI

The rapporteur declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his report input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[26], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

DECLARATION OF INPUT FROM MATJAŽ NEMEC

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he included in his report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that he received, in the preparation of the report, prior to the adoption thereof in committee, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[27], or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

The European External Action Service (EEAS)

The European Committee of the Regions (CoR)

The European Court of Auditors (ECA)

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)

The European Ombudsman

2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

Permanent Representation of Denmark to the European Union

Minister for Finance of Denmark

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT (25.9.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

on the General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026

(2025/0000(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Charles Goerens

 

OPINION

The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas geopolitical instability is increasing, with traditional major donors such as USAID disengaging, whereas this puts pressure on the EU as a principled global actor; whereas it is in Europe’s strategic interest to strengthen its position on the global arena by ensuring the security and economic competitiveness of its Member States; whereas resources and capabilities are limited, making the need to use them rationally and effectively even greater through the setting of clear priorities and improving the supervision and control of resources;

B. whereas, according to UN OCHA, nearly 300 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance and protection, driven by intensifying conflicts, forced displacements, and an increasing number of disasters related to extreme weather events; whereas only 12% of humanitarian requirements were funded by mid-2025; whereas the unprecedented funding gaps leave millions of people in need without assistance; whereas the EU remains committed to upholding the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, independence and impartiality; whereas additional efforts are needed to broaden the donor base for humanitarian action, in order to address the humanitarian funding gap;

C. whereas Article 208 of the TFEU states that the primary objective of the EU’s development cooperation policy is the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty; whereas EU external financing instruments should contribute to fulfilling the international commitments and objectives the EU has endorsed—particularly the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework—through a strong commitment to multilateralism;

1. Notes that the margin for Heading 6 in the draft budget is merely EUR 109 million; recalls that the NDICI-GE cushion is nearly exhausted (13% remaining availability until 2027); deplores that the current MFF leaves only limited room for coping with unforeseen challenges, in a transparent manner, which weakens the EU as an external actor in times of polycrises and global geopolitical and financial uncertainty;

2. Stresses that a considerable reinforcement of humanitarian aid is needed as humanitarian crises continue to intensify and are further undermining global and regional stability, as well as Europe's longer-term interests; in this regard, requests that the Emergency Aid reserve (EUR 595 million for 2026) be mobilised entirely for humanitarian needs in third countries; 

3. In light of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and across the region, additional funding under the Southern Neighbourhood heading is essential to ensure continued access to essential human development services, such as health and primary education for Palestinian refugees, to uphold regional stability, and to reaffirm the EU’s commitment to human rights and international law;

4. Takes note that, following the MFF mid-term revision and the resulting redeployments, the geographic programmes for Sub-Saharan Africa have been reduced over the period 2024-2027; recalls that NDICI-GE Regulation Article 6.2 (a) constitutes a legal obligation for the overall financial envelope assigned to Sub-Saharan Africa to reach “at least 29.18 billion” by 2027, provided that those countries fulfil certain conditions, such as cooperation on readmission; recalls that the recital 26 of NDICI-GE Regulation explicitly says that financial envelopes envisaged for the Neighbourhood and Sub-Saharan Africa geographic programmes should only be increased, given the particular priority the Union gives to those regions;

5. Recalls that continuous and stable EU financial support to developing countries in key areas such as fundamental rights and freedoms, Civil Society Organizations, climate change and humanitarian aid are vital for the EU's ongoing commitments to the Agenda 2030, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its role as a credible player in global development, as a credible partner in international partnerships and with a long term commitment to the economic and social development of its partners;

6. Reaffirms the vital role of civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as development actors in advancing the EU’s external action agenda and values; urges their active participation in budget planning and the allocation of earmarked funds across NDICI–Global Europe geographic and thematic programmes, ensuring these are accessible to a diverse range of CSOs at the partner country level;

7. Underlines the need for a meaningful presence of and effective action by EU Delegations to maintain partnerships worldwide, to monitor and manage development cooperation including to foster credible governance commitments, transparent public financial management and measurable progress towards jointly agreed objectives and to reinforce the EU’s role as a global actor especially in light of growing competition from other players; recalls that the effectiveness and long-term impact of EU external funding depend on strong national ownership and constructive cooperation with partner countries;

8. Expresses its concern about the possible downsizing of EU Delegations, including in third countries where significant humanitarian assistance is being provided; considers it essential, on the contrary, to strengthen EU delegations in the most critical countries;

9. Calls on the Commission to develop new instruments based on an evidence-based framework to monitor and assess the distribution and impact of interventions in partner countries, particularly in areas such as job creation, education, living standards, and the development of local enterprises, including SMEs, as this would help optimise and broaden the local impact of current EU interventions and partnerships, and support the design of future projects with lasting effects in partner countries; underlines that such an empirical approach enhances transparency in spending and strengthens the Parliament's oversight role as part of the budgetary authority;

10. Highlights the need to invest in human development, as the US withdrawal from foreign aid will impact, in particular, healthcare and the control and prevention of diseases, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), nutrition, and education, with women and children suffering disproportionately; points out that only with a balanced and coherent set of policies, supported by ambitious and predictable funding, can the EU effectively provide coherent responses; emphasises that the success of the Global Gateway initiative depends on sufficient funding in the 2026 EU budget, and that EU support for infrastructure, energy, digital and education must be backed by adequate financial resources;

11. Underlines that the trans-Atlantic partnership remains crucial to address global challenges of food-insecurity and malnutrition;

12. Emphasises the importance of reinforcing budgetary support to promote vocational education and training, private sector development and job creation in partner countries; underlines that investment in skills and employability, in close cooperation with local and European private sector actors, is essential for fostering sustainable economic growth, reducing irregular migration, and strengthening the EU’s strategic partnerships; highlights in particular the role of SMEs as key drivers of inclusive growth, innovation and local job creation, and calls for targeted support to enhance their access to finance, markets and training opportunities;

13. Considers it necessary to ensure that enough EU programs and funds are used to promote the protection of women's rights and LGBTQ+rights, in particular in countries where these rights are under threat; underlines the need of advancing on gender equality in line with SDG 5, insists in particular on the need to combat violence against women and girls and to promote access to sexual and reproductive health and rights;

14. Calls for the audit and suspension of funds for controversial policies that fail to deliver the expected results, such as the PDCA with Cuba, and for such funds to be redirected to urgent and non-controversial measures;

15. Calls to address the shortcomings in funding aimed at tackling the root causes of migration in North Africa and the Horn of Africa, emphasises the importance of implementing more effective border control mechanisms, combating migrant smuggling; underlines in this context that EU financial support for partner countries must be conditional on tackling illegal migration and cooperation on return and readmission;

16. Welcomes the renewed global framework for financing for development, adopted at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development held in Seville, which aims to mobilise innovative resources, improve access to finance, and reform the international financial architecture; notes that while it provides momentum for sustainable development, the level of concrete commitments remains limited, and progress on key issues such as debt relief is still insufficient.

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[28], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	24.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	9 3 12
Members present for the final vote	Hildegard Bentele, Robert Biedroń, Udo Bullmann, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Niels Geuking, Małgorzata Gosiewska, György Hölvényi, Marc Jongen, Murielle Laurent, Isabella Lövin, Lukas Mandl, Thierry Mariani, Liudas Mažylis, Ana Miranda Paz, Tiago Moreira de Sá, Leire Pajín, Marco Tarquinio
Substitutes present for the final vote	Dick Erixon, Anna-Maja Henriksson, Paolo Inselvini, Carolina Morace, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Michael McNamara, Angelika Winzig

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

9	+
PPE	Hildegard Bentele, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Niels Geuking, Lukas Mandl, Liudas Mažylis, Angelika Winzig
Renew	Anna-Maja Henriksson, Michael McNamara, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu

 

3	-
ECR	Dick Erixon
ESN	Marc Jongen
The Left	Carolina Morace

 

12	0
ECR	Małgorzata Gosiewska, Paolo Inselvini
PfE	György Hölvényi, Thierry Mariani, Tiago Moreira de Sá
S&D	Robert Biedroń, Udo Bullmann, Murielle Laurent, Leire Pajín, Marco Tarquinio
Verts/ALE	Isabella Lövin, Ana Miranda Paz

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS (17.7.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Marlena Maląg

 

 

 

OPINION

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1.  Stresses that 2026 may be a difficult year for the Union economy due to the current volatile geopolitical, socio-economic, humanitarian, security and climate-related context; points to the challenges posed by the return of protectionism, increasing economic fragmentation, threat of deindustrialisation across the Union, tensions in international trade and threat to the financial stability; is concerned about the potential negative impacts on the Union budget as well as of the increased budgetary needs, in the context of the limited flexibility of the current MFF; calls in this regard to mainstream the areas of competitiveness, defence, SME support, and the green and digital transition; believes those challenges should be duly reflected in next year's budget;

2.  Emphasises that the Union budget should prioritise the provision of European public goods in areas where Union-level action enables greater efficiency and economies of scale to deliver tangible results; believes that cross-border investments should be increased in defence and energy interconnections;

3.  Recalls the findings of the Draghi report, which identifies a significant investment gap; calls for the Union budget to contribute to closing that gap through increased funding to the Union’s key strategic objectives and measures to steer private capital towards productive and sustainable activities;

4.  Notes that in view of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its social and economic consequences for the Union, in particular the impact on energy prices, the budget should provide robust support to make the Union economy more resilient to external shocks; underlines the need to address the impacts of possible trade tensions, which risk exacerbating the ongoing cost of living crisis and putting additional pressure on European households and businesses; calls on the Commission to explore ideas for a mechanism that helps ensure that the cyclical position of the Union as a whole is appropriate for the macroeconomic outlook at all times;

5.  Recalls the disastrous consequences of dependence on fossil fuels from the Russian Federation and the potential crisis related to the lack of independent access to rare earth elements; calls for the Union budget to tackle vulnerabilities in the Union’s value chains by reducing dependencies on critical inputs from non-Union countries, with the aim of achieving strategic autonomy in key sectors, especially in the raw materials and energy sector; stresses the importance of reducing energy costs by encouraging the use of alternative sources in line with the Taxonomy Regulation;

6.  Emphasises the key role of financial stability for economic resilience and calls for support in next year's budget for measures to ensure the stability of the Union’s banking system; stresses the need for adequate funding and human resources for the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), in order to execute strictly the tasks assigned to them by the European Parliament and the Council; highlights the responsibilities of ESAs to cope with the speedy developments in the fields of sustainable finance, financial technology, anti-money laundering, cyber resilience and other areas;

7.  Underlines that the 2026 budget must respond to the economic impact of the ongoing geopolitical instability, particularly for Member States bordering the Russian Federation and the Middle East, which had direct implications for trade, inflation and energy stability; stresses the need to include appropriate financial measures to address those challenges and support regional economic stability; reiterates the need to place among the objectives of the 2026 budget, the reduction of the gap between island areas, inland areas, outermost and Eastern border regions and all those penalised by geographical factors, compared to the more developed areas of the Union; stresses the need for support for cooperation and integration policies in specific areas of the Union, such as the Baltic and the Mediterranean;

8.  Stresses that the persistent housing crisis represents a growing risk for the economic and social cohesion of the European Union, exacerbating territorial disparities; proposes that the 2026 Union budget includes targeted measures within the housing policy to address the specific needs of vulnerable groups;

9.  In view of the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, uncertainty about the development of the situation and the possibility of a direct military threat to the Union, emphasises the urgent need to stimulate investment in strategic preparedness, resilience, security in a broad sense (including logistical infrastructure, cybersecurity, and strategic autonomy in crucial areas such as energy) and defence by fostering targeted investment, supporting innovation and creating the necessary financial conditions to mobilise private capital into the defence sector, to ensure the safety of Union citizens;

10.  Takes note of the Commission's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative; emphasises that there is a need to build elements for a Defence Union, in particular in the joint procurement where justified by the defence needs of the Member States and in the build-up of common defence capabilities under the Union budget; emphasises the need for all common defence funds to be spent responsibly and efficiently, in line with the actual defence needs of individual Member States; deplores the Commission's too frequent application of Article 122 TFEU on matters of common Union debt; calls for greater involvement of Parliament in such decisions and for monitoring the increase in the Union’s common debt;

11.  Notes the Commission’s proposal to temporarily activate the national escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact, which will provide the Member States with additional budgetary space to increase their defence spending, within the Union’s fiscal rules; calls for appropriate targeting of funds in next year’s budget to ensure complementarity and support for national defence expenditure of Member States;

12.  Recalls that national medium term fiscal structural plans under Union fiscal rules must be aligned with the Union budget policy priorities to provide the fiscal space needed to stimulate strategic investments; welcomes the fact that the net expenditure indicator excludes all national co-financing in Union-funded programmes, providing increased fiscal space for Member States to invest in the Union’s common priorities, as laid down in Regulation (EU) 2024/1263 of the European Parliament and of the Council, thus helping to strengthen synergies between the Union and national budgets, thereby reducing fragmentation and increasing the overall efficiency of public spending;

13.  Stresses that cohesion policy and structural funds are a pillar of the Union, essential for the convergence process of the Union regions, and reducing the economic inequalities among them, promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion; reiterates, in this respect, that while focusing on the priorities in the next year's budget such as competitiveness, the cohesion policies should not be undermined; calls for maintaining the cohesion policy under shared management within the framework of place-based approach and partnership principle; highlights the importance of involving local and regional authorities in the planning and implementation of such investments to ensure effective absorption and better alignment with regional economic needs;

14.  Highlights that the consolidation of the single market primarily requires internal barriers to be removed; calls for priority to be given to the identification and the removal of such barriers, alongside both innovation-enhancing and cohesion-enhancing investments in order to rebuild the Union's competitiveness; believes that the Union budget is an essential tool for preserving competitiveness and safeguarding the integrity of the single market;

15.  Stresses the need to ensure the competitiveness of the internal market of Member States, including through measures to protect small and medium-sized enterprises; emphasises the need to stimulate economic growth in the Union, modernise the Union economy and improve access to capital markets for SMEs and retail investors;

16. Welcomes the development of a methodology to track gender-based spending and urges improvements based on lessons learned; regrets the lack of systematic gender impact assessments for budget-related legislation; calls for a strengthened framework in the next MFF to ensure the Union budget advances gender equality and sustainability goals;

17.  Recalls that public investment should be a driver for economic and social development, and that it should stimulate further private investment; points out that weak capital markets significantly limit investment in the Union and that a significant increase in private investment capital, which is the aim of the Savings and Investments Union initiative, is a necessary condition to effectively stimulate the Union’s economy; stresses that private investments should be steered towards activities that enhance the resilience and sustainability of the Union to be effective in stimulating the economy and achieve long-term prosperity and welfare for all European citizens; underlines the importance of increasing the leverage of the Union budget to enhance the mobilisation of private investment across the Union and that private investment should complement and not substitute public investment; calls on the Commission to make full use of financial guarantees under the Union budget to leverage private investment; welcomes the proposal to increase the size of the InvestEU programme guarantee, which will allow continued investment in key technologies and sectors that drive sustainable growth in the Union; also welcomes the enhanced possibilities for combining available support from the Union budget introduced by Omnibus II; believes that the successor to the InvestEU programme will be essential in closing the innovation gap, supporting the decarbonisation effort, addressing increased security needs, and reducing strategic dependencies;

18.  Emphasises the need to support private investment efforts by companies in digital transformation, ecological transition, internationalisation and paths of social inclusion and decent work, including for the most vulnerable groups;

19.  Stresses the importance of ensuring that all Union programmes, including increased funding for NGOs, actively support the meaningful engagement of civil society to contribute to the Union’s objectives particularly in the context of the impact of reduced funding for civil society by the Union’s international partners; notes that the European Court of Auditors' report states that Union’s funding granted to NGOs in internal policies was not sufficiently transparent; stresses that organisations receiving Union budget support must act in a transparent way;

20.  Notes that 2026 is the last year of operation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF); calls for an 18-month extension of mature RRF projects through an amendment of the RRF Regulation by co-decision, if needed, and highlights that this is a one-off instrument; calls in this regard on the Member States and the Commission to ensure a swift implementation of the recovery and resilience plans; stresses the need for complementarity between expenditure from the budget and the RRF, as well as avoiding double financing; notes that so far the RRF failed to fund investments in European public goods and to structurally transform national economies; expresses concern over the potential decline in public investment following the expiration of the RRF; urges therefore the Commission to present a strategy to address the huge demand for public investment beyond 2026 without compromising budgetary resources in other critical areas;

21.  Notes the costs resulting from servicing the NextGenerationEU loans; points out that the issue of financing the repayment of the NextGenerationEU has not yet been satisfactorily resolved; notes the persistent lack of progress on the new own resources package in the Council; reminds the importance of the introduction of new own resources to the Union budget to ensure an effective and sustainable Union budget; stresses that the introduction of new own resources should be aimed at supporting the Union’s competitiveness;

22.  Recalls that the VAT also contributes to the Union's own resources and that its relative share in the Union’s revenue has declined over the years; considers, therefore, that resources deployed to combat VAT fraud would not only strengthen national budgets but also directly benefit the financing of the Union budget;

23.  Stresses the need for adequate funding and resources for the FISCALIS programme to ensure the necessary support for the national tax authorities; highlights that the FISCALIS programme is a crucial cooperation programme for Member States and their national tax authorities to pursue common objectives in the fight against tax fraud, tax evasion, and aggressive tax planning.

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[29], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	15.7.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	42 9 9
Members present for the final vote	Georgios Aftias, Rasmus Andresen, Francisco Assis, Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Stefan Berger, Gilles Boyer, Giovanni Crosetto, Fabio De Masi, Siegbert Frank Droese, Engin Eroglu, Marco Falcone, Markus Ferber, Jonás Fernández, Dirk Gotink, Enikő Győri, Michalis Hadjipantela, Eero Heinäluoma, Billy Kelleher, Kinga Kollár, Tomáš Kubín, Aurore Lalucq, Marlena Maląg, Costas Mavrides, Siegfried Mureşan, Fernando Navarrete Rojas, Luděk Niedermayer, Ľudovít Ódor, Gaetano Pedulla’, Lídia Pereira, Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Pierre Pimpie, Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová, Friedrich Pürner, Jussi Saramo, Paulius Saudargas, Ralf Seekatz, Irene Tinagli, Marie Toussaint, Pasquale Tridico, Anouk Van Brug, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
Substitutes present for the final vote	Bas Eickhout, Niels Fuglsang, Alexander Jungbluth, Fernand Kartheiser, Janusz Lewandowski, César Luena, Andreas Schwab, Mariateresa Vivaldini
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Damien Carême, Mohammed Chahim, Alessandro Ciriani, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Ondřej Knotek, Lara Magoni, Jana Nagyová, Daniele Polato, Krzysztof Śmiszek

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

42	+
PPE	Georgios Aftias, Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Stefan Berger, Marco Falcone, Markus Ferber, Dirk Gotink, Michalis Hadjipantela, Kinga Kollár, Janusz Lewandowski, Siegfried Mureşan, Fernando Navarrete Rojas, Luděk Niedermayer, Lídia Pereira, Paulius Saudargas, Andreas Schwab, Ralf Seekatz
PfE	Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Enikő Győri, Ondřej Knotek, Tomáš Kubín, Jana Nagyová, Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová
Renew	Gilles Boyer, Billy Kelleher, Ľudovít Ódor, Anouk Van Brug, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
S&D	Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Francisco Assis, Mohammed Chahim, Jonás Fernández, Niels Fuglsang, Eero Heinäluoma, Aurore Lalucq, César Luena, Costas Mavrides, Krzysztof Śmiszek, Irene Tinagli
Verts/ALE	Rasmus Andresen, Bas Eickhout, Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, Marie Toussaint

 

9	-
ESN	Siegbert Frank Droese, Alexander Jungbluth
NI	Fabio De Masi, Friedrich Pürner
PfE	Pierre Pimpie
Renew	Engin Eroglu
The Left	Damien Carême, Gaetano Pedulla', Pasquale Tridico

 

9	0
ECR	Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Alessandro Ciriani, Giovanni Crosetto, Lara Magoni, Marlena Maląg, Daniele Polato, Mariateresa Vivaldini
NI	Fernand Kartheiser
The Left	Jussi Saramo

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS (15.7.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Romana Tomc

 

 

OPINION

The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Recalls the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) and Action Plan of 4 March 2021, including the EU 2030 headline targets for jobs, skills and poverty reduction, the Porto Declaration of 8 May 2021 on social affairs adopted by the Members of the European Council, the Tripartite Declaration for a Thriving European Social Dialogue, and the La Hulpe Declaration on the Future of the European Pillar of Social Rights;

2. Underscores persistent socio-economic challenges, including demographic change, child and in-work poverty, persistent poverty, high inflation, increased cost of living and energy prices, lack of affordable and accessible housing, adapting skills and industrial policies to ensure a just twin transition as well as growing social and economic inequalities and climate crisis affecting the most people in vulnerable situations, necessitating sufficient budgetary support; expresses its concern about the very limited margins and remaining flexibilities available in the Draft Budget and calls for mobilising adequate resources for EU employment and social policies;

3. Recalls that public expenditure is necessary to ensure upward social convergence; believes in the importance of addressing social gaps in living and working conditions through social investment in the medium and long-term future while, at the same time responding to people’s immediate needs;

4. Is concerned, in this context, by the increasing number of people in Europe suffering from mental health challenges; reminds that stress, anxiety and depression make up the second most common work-related health problem affecting workers in Europe and therefore underlines the importance of addressing psychosocial risks in the workplace; insists on the Commission to prioritise mental health in the area of employment and social policies and reiterates the call for a directive on the right to disconnect;

5. Points out that the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the key driver for strengthening the social dimension of the Union and the main EU instrument for investing in people, promoting high employment levels, fair social protection and developing a skilled and resilient workforce ready for the transition to a green and digital economy, as well as inclusive and cohesive societies aiming to eradicate poverty and delivering on the principles of the EPSR and the headline targets of its Action Plan; underlines in that sense the importance to increase public and social investments;

6. Stresses that in April 2025, the youth unemployment rate in the EU was at 14,8%; expresses its concern about higher youth unemployment rates compared to overall unemployment; calls in this regard on all Member States, not only those the most affected by youth unemployment, to allocate at least 12,5 % of the ESF+ resources under shared management to support youth employment and activities under the Youth Guarantee; urges the Member States and the Commission to prioritise combating youth unemployment, leveraging existing initiatives like the ESF+ and the Youth Guarantee, while improving the working conditions and the attractiveness of entry level positions; expresses concerns about early career precariousness, which undermine young people's independence, work-life balance and ability to access housing; notes that women and young workers with low education levels are more prone to suffering from early career precariousness;

7. Underlines the importance of sufficient and ongoing, multiannual budgetary support to achieve the social policy priorities of the Union, such as quality jobs and the fair mobility package;

8. Highlights the important role of EU programmes in the social fields, in particular the European Social Fund+, European Globalisation Fund, Just Transition Fund, and Recovery and Resilience Facility and Social Climate Fund, in supporting the Union’s economic, social and territorial cohesion, facilitating a just transition to a climate neutral economy and fostering economic resilience; underlines that these programmes should not stray from their original purpose and any change to their priorities should be carefully assessed; highlights that the access of these programmes should be further simplified in order to remove administrative burden for stakeholders and should include local and regional actors into the design and implementation of the programmes;

9. Underscores the importance of the role of the EU budget in implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and achieving its 2030 targets through increased targeted investment at EU and national level; welcomes the forthcoming new Action Plan and the opportunity it provides to reaffirm the importance of the social dimension of the European Union, including renewed impetus towards 2030 targets;

10. Welcomes the forthcoming, first-ever European Anti-Poverty Strategy and calls for relevant budgetary resources for the implementation of already existing and relevant new initiatives to tackle poverty; recalls the need to address it in all its possible forms and multidimensional nature; stresses in view of the anticipated update to the Action Plan the need to ensure sufficient budgetary resources in 2026 to accompany any new or adapted initiatives; reminds of the strong link between poverty and homelessness, and of the EU commitment to eradicate homelessness by 2030; insists on the importance to continue efforts to ensure the right for decent, sustainable and affordable housing for all, promoting the 'housing first' approach and tackling homelessness, as well as addressing social gaps in living and working conditions through social investment and essential services, quality healthcare and well-functioning public healthcare;

11. Highlights the necessity of supporting especially women, children, youth, families, in particular single parents and older persons living in remote and rural areas, and groups in vulnerable situations such as persons with disabilities and Roma, advocating for targeted measures to support persons with disabilities and their carers and families and to combat youth unemployment and child poverty;

12. Deplores the fact that in 2024 24,2 % of children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion; reiterates Parliament’s repeated call to urgently increase the funding of the European Child Guarantee with a dedicated budget and to ensure adequate public investment in policies that have a direct and indirect impact on children’s lives; calls in this regard on all Member States, not only those affected by child poverty, to allocate at least 5 % of the ESF+ resources under shared management to support activities under the European Child Guarantee in 2026 as well as making full use of existing funding possibilities under the EU budget, such as ReactEU and the RRF to eradicate child poverty;

13. Underlines the crucial role of civil society working on social inclusion, gender equality and equal opportunities when it comes to shaping and monitoring the implementation of legislation; stresses that this is particularly important for the groups that are the most vulnerable as they ensure policies and initiatives effectively address their needs and facilitate their access to different social services; calls on the Commission to ensure sufficient, stable and transparent funding for the civil society organisations;

14. Underlines the important role of social partners and social dialogue for social cohesion in Europe and for the European social model; reminds that the support for fostering social dialogue is one of the principles of the EPSR; believes, recognising the importance of social partners, that the EU should promote their role, considering national diversity, and facilitate social dialogue and collective bargaining in line with Article 152 TFEU; regrets the repeated cuts by the Commission and the Council  to related budget lines and believes that, considering existing socio-economic inequalities, more support for social dialogue and collective bargaining, for social partners and for training measures for trade unions will be needed in the coming years;

15. Emphasises the need for more specific policy responses to mitigate the impact of demographic challenges with an ageing population across the EU due to declining fertility rates and extended life expectancies; underscores the importance of services and improving skilling and working conditions in the health sector and infrastructure for children and persons with disabilities as well as support at all stages of life so people can stay in family or community environment as long as possible; in this context stresses the importance of the European Care Strategy and calls for adequate funding for related initiatives in Budget 2026; stresses the importance of universal access to public services in order to reduce regional development disparities and to offer equal access to quality education, infrastructure and healthcare for all; calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider impacts on social, territorial and economic cohesion at all levels of public policy decisions;

16. Considers that, in light of the internal and external challenges as well as rapid development of new technologies including artificial intelligence, that a proficient and prepared workforce is essential for enhancing the Union's competitiveness and resilience against external shocks, adapting skills and industrial policies to navigate the just twin transition successfully; recognises the essential role of quality education, lifelong learning, skilling, reskilling and upskilling, vocational education and training (VET) and quality and paid traineeships and apprenticeships available and accessible for all, leaving no-one behind; recalls, in this regard, the need to ensure adequate funding in Budget 2026 for skills policies under ESF+ and the Just Transition Fund, as well as InvestEU, REPowerEU, STEP and the Net Zero Industry Academies as key drivers for strengthening the social and skills dimensions of the Union;

17. Highlights the key role that the Academies will play in disseminating knowledge and skills on net-zero technologies that can enhance the Union’s competitiveness and its global position in net-zero industries and calls for additional appropriations under the SMEs Pillar within the Single Market Programme to ensure sufficient financing for the year 2026;

18. Underlines that Cohesion policy must remain a long-term policy, based on the objectives set out in articles 174 and 175 of the TFEU; expresses its concern that the Union's cohesion funds, including the European Social Fund+, are increasingly used as an emergency response tool, and underlines that this approach risks the longer-term policy and investment objectives of cohesion policy and that the people for whom Cohesion policy supports cannot be sufficiently reached;

19. Recalls the importance of the expertise carried out by the five EU agencies active in the development of the Union's social and employment policy areas, namely the European Labour Authority, the European Foundation for Living and Working Conditions, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training and the European Training Foundation, and emphasises that these agencies must be properly staffed and adequately resourced, so that they can fulfil their mandate, achieve their objectives, and perform their evolving tasks; recalls that the tasks of agencies evolve in line with policy priorities and stresses that new responsibilities must be accompanied by corresponding resources; reiterates its call to allow for flexibility for agencies with a high proportion of seconded national experts in the establishment plan to convert SNE posts into temporary agent posts with the aim of ensuring better expertise retention, operational functionality and business continuity;

20. Recalls that pilot projects (PPs) and preparatory actions (PA) play a crucial role in providing information and data collection on the impact of policy initiatives in the fields of social inclusion and employment; repeats its call on the Commission for PP/PA evaluation to be conducted impartially on the basis of legal and financial assessment in a manner that reflects their merit and implement them as they were adopted;

21. Insists that rules governing the use of EU funds must ensure compliance with labour obligations, the highest social rights and democratic principles, ensure quality jobs and be aligned with the EPSR, the SDGs and the fundamental rights of workers; calls for provisions to  ensure public money only goes to employers respecting workers’ rights and applicable working conditions;

22. Calls for an adequately funded budget to support equal participation and treatment of women in the labour market; welcomes the development of a methodology to track gender-based spending and considers that the lessons learnt, in particular as regards the collection of gender-disaggregated data to monitor and measure gender budget allocations, women’s participation in the labour market, access to employment and gender pay and pension gaps, should be promoted;

23. Calls for the internalisation of the European Parliament's childcare services, guaranteeing their workers an employment relationship with the Parliament and the guarantee that all their rights will be respected;

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[30], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	15.7.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	23 6 18
Members present for the final vote	Maravillas Abadía Jover, Grégory Allione, Li Andersson, Marc Angel, Pascal Arimont, Konstantinos Arvanitis, Nikola Bartůšek, Gabriele Bischoff, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Rachel Blom, Andrzej Buła, Petr Bystron, David Casa, Estelle Ceulemans, Leila Chaibi, Per Clausen, Henrik Dahl, Johan Danielsson, Marie Dauchy, Mélanie Disdier, Elena Donazzan, Gheorghe Falcă, Chiara Gemma, Niels Geuking, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Isilda Gomes, Alicia Homs Ginel, Sérgio Humberto, Irena Joveva, Martine Kemp, Katrin Langensiepen, Miriam Lexmann, Marit Maij, Marlena Maląg, Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak, Eleonora Meleti, Idoia Mendia, Letizia Moratti, Maria Ohisalo, João Oliveira, Branislav Ondruš, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Hristo Petrov, Nicola Procaccini, Dennis Radtke, Nela Riehl, Liesbet Sommen, Villy Søvndal, Pál Szekeres, Georgiana Teodorescu, Romana Tomc, Jana Toom, Raffaele Topo, Francesco Torselli, Brigitte van den Berg, Marianne Vind, Mariateresa Vivaldini, Petar Volgin, Jan-Peter Warnke, Séverine Werbrouck
Substitutes present for the final vote	Alex Agius Saliba, Galato Alexandraki, René Aust, Ľuboš Blaha, Gordan Bosanac, Borys Budka, Vivien Costanzo, Raúl de la Hoz Quintano, Özlem Demirel, Valérie Devaux, Klára Dobrev, Regina Doherty, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Laurence Farreng, Loucas Fourlas, Kathleen Funchion, Angéline Furet, Estrella Galán, Martin Hojsík, Romana Jerković, Rudi Kennes, Arba Kokalari, András Tivadar Kulja, Isabelle Le Callennec, Jeroen Lenaers, Lara Magoni, Mario Mantovani, Pierfrancesco Maran, Catarina Martins, Sara Matthieu, Nora Mebarek, Gilles Pennelle, Giusi Princi, Evelyn Regner, Benedetta Scuderi, Birgit Sippel, Cecilia Strada, Eugen Tomac, Kim Van Sparrentak, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, Jörgen Warborn, Andrea Wechsler, Angelika Winzig, Maria Zacharia, Kosma Złotowski

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

23	+
NI	Jan-Peter Warnke
PPE	Maravillas Abadía Jover, Andrzej Buła, Regina Doherty, Sérgio Humberto, Isabelle Le Callennec, Miriam Lexmann, Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak, Dennis Radtke, Liesbet Sommen, Romana Tomc, Sabine Verheyen
Renew	Martin Hojsík, Irena Joveva, Hristo Petrov, Jana Toom
The Left	Li Andersson, Konstantinos Arvanitis, Leila Chaibi, Rudi Kennes
Verts/ALE	Alexandra Geese, Pär Holmgren, Maria Ohisalo

 

6	-
PfE	Nikola Bartůšek, Rachel Blom, Marie Dauchy, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Pál Szekeres, Séverine Werbrouck

 

18	0
ECR	Chiara Gemma, Lara Magoni, Marlena Maląg, Georgiana Teodorescu, Francesco Torselli, Mariateresa Vivaldini
NI	Branislav Ondruš
PPE	Andrea Wechsler
S&D	Marc Angel, Gabriele Bischoff, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, Estelle Ceulemans, Johan Danielsson, Isilda Gomes, Alicia Homs Ginel, Idoia Mendia, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Raffaele Topo

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE AND FOOD SAFETY (4.9.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Antonio Decaro

 

OPINION

The Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Underlines that the Union budget for 2026 continues to reflect central factors identified during the mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), notably the continued need to accelerate the green and digital transition as well as a the need of enhancing competitiveness and innovation, adopting a water resilience strategy that addresses the different needs of the Member States and particularly those that face acute water scarcity, while responding to ongoing geopolitical challenges such as the war in Ukraine, as well as humanitarian needs in the Southern Neighbourhood and the increasing frequency and impacts of natural disasters; notes that the budget must ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and managed with clear accountability to deliver measurable results;

2. Underscores the importance of prioritising agreed Union objectives, ensuring efficient resource allocation and strengthening competitiveness; calls for adequate financial and human resources, including to the relevant agencies, to implement Union legislation adopted in the previous European Parliament’s term, particularly in the areas of climate action, environmental protection and food safety, with a specific emphasis on measures contributing to climate mitigation and adaptation, protecting biodiversity, circular economy and zero pollution goals, in light of increasing implementation demands as the 2021–2027 programmes progress towards full operational deployment; considers that the 2026 annual budget should support the 8th Environmental Action Programme requirement and the Commission’s commitment to phase out all environmentally harmful subsidies;

3. Highlights the importance of secondary legislation for the completeness and functioning of Union budget and for maintaining legal certainty, consistency and predictability for stakeholders and recipients; underlines that initiatives for administrative simplification should ensure that budget lines are used efficiently to meet envisaged policy targets and take into account the costs for stakeholders and of such initiatives;

4. Welcomes the Union's continued commitment to global partnerships, including environmental and climate resilience actions in neighbouring and partner countries; underlines the importance of maintaining funding for external climate objectives under the Global Gateway and in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; further emphasises the importance of ensuring focussed, cost-effective actions that maximize impact and safeguard efficient resource use and the aim to increase the Union’s strategic autonomy;

5. Recalls the European Green Deal’s central role in strengthening the Union’s competitiveness and advancing the transition to a sustainable and climate-neutral economy, through key initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal; emphasises the need for budgetary coherence in balancing competitiveness, decarbonisation, and resilience objectives; reiterates that implementing the European Green Deal is essential for achieving the Union’s climate goals and securing long-term competitiveness, particularly by supporting clean innovation and industrial decarbonisation;

6. Welcomes the Union budget’s continued commitment to climate objectives, ensuring that at least 30% of the MFF supports climate action; stresses the need for more robust tracking and reporting methodologies to enhance transparency, effectiveness and alignment with the Union’s 2050 climate neutrality objective; notes that the 2026 draft budget upholds this priority, with a significant increase in payment appropriations for climate-related expenditures (+199,3%); recalls that prudent budgetary planning is instrumental to ensure public trust; regrets the 9% reduction in commitment appropriations, warning that it could jeopardize the Union’s medium- and long-term climate neutrality targets;

7. Notes with concern that the biodiversity expenditure target of 10% for 2026 is unlikely to be met; observes that, despite efforts to increase its share of Union spending, biodiversity mainstreaming remains below target; calls on the Commission to implement remedial measures to close this gap, as biodiversity-relevant expenditure is projected to reach only 7,8% of the Union budget in 2026, jeopardizing the 10% target for 2027; calls for increased funding for cross-border biodiversity protection projects, especially in regions which are biologically highly valuable but exposed to the pressures of climate change and human activities;

8. Notes that, under Heading 3 ‘Natural Resources and Environment’ of the 2026 Union budget, commitment appropriations remain largely stable at EUR 56,97 billion, while payment appropriations are expected to increase to EUR 53,13 billion; while welcoming this upward trend, underlines the importance of maintaining a high level of financial ambition to ensure progress towards the Union’s climate and environmental goals;

9. Calls on the Commission and Member States to explore opportunities in the 2026 Union budget to support innovation and sustainability, where appropriate, by taking into account relevant environmental and social considerations; highlights the role of community-led initiatives, cooperatives and social enterprises in delivering local climate solutions, building resilience and engaging vulnerable populations in sustainability efforts; underlines the role of budgetary instruments in contributing to integrated economic, social, and environmental development;

10. Recalls that the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) remains an important driver of green investment, with REPowerEU supporting clean energy initiatives and the transition away from fossil fuel dependence; highlights continued concerns over delays and uneven implementation; reiterates the obligation for Member States to allocate at least 37% of their RRF spending to climate-related measures and calls for accelerated implementation to maximize impact;

11. Stresses the need to allocate sufficient funding for each budget line that contributes to the achievement of the green transition and especially focusing on climate change mitigation and adaptation, circular economy, pollution reduction and biodiversity restoration and protection, including by bolstering and improving financing for nature-based solutions and measurable improvements in water use efficiency, investing in the extension, modernisation and digitalisation of water supply and sanitation infrastructure and to ensure compliance with Union wastewater treatment standards; calls for the 2026 budget to include targeted investment for climate adaptation measures and disaster prevention, especially in regions facing repeated floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events, while allowing Member States the flexibility to prioritise adaptation measures in line with national circumstances and needs;

12. Stresses the need for the 2026 Union budget to promote accessible, green public services, including sustainable housing, clean mobility and nature-based health infrastructure; underlines that investing in environmentally sustainable social services can simultaneously reduce emissions, improve health outcomes and address regional inequalities;

13. Underlines the continued relevance of the Programme for the Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) in advancing the Union’s environmental and climate objectives; notes the modest proposed 3,5% budget increase, particularly the targeted 6% rise for nature and biodiversity initiatives, and calls for a more ambitious funding expansion to safeguard biodiversity and accelerate sustainability efforts, also with a view to bridge the current funding gap with regards to reaching the biodiversity-relevant spending target of 10%; furthermore, calls on increased budgetary allocations for the sub-programme on circular economy and quality of life, to maximise the potential of circular economy actions, which remains largely underfinanced; recognises the importance of continued communication, visibility and transparency of projects under LIFE, to meet and accelerate environmental targets;

14. Encourages increased support in the 2026 budget for competitive, innovative, just and sustainable agriculture and food production, including for small and young farmers and fishers, notably to support them in meeting environmental and biodiversity objectives and targets; stresses the need for investment in farming technologies and techniques that preserve or enhance productivity while reducing resource dependency and meeting environmental and biodiversity targets, thereby safeguarding the resilience of European food systems under changing climatic conditions;

15. Highlights the critical role of the Just Transition Fund in supporting the regions and economic actors transitioning away from fossil dependency, particularly in terms of energy decarbonisation and industrial transformation; emphasises the importance of funding programmes that promote skills development ensuring that the green transition enhances social cohesion and reduces inequalities; regrets the 17,1% funding reduction, warning that it risks weakening assistance for these regions and sectors;

16. Welcomes the launch of the Social Climate Fund in 2026, recognising its potential in mitigating the social impact of the climate transition, and stresses its importance in ensuring fairness in climate policies, particularly for vulnerable communities; welcomes the Commission’s assistance to Member States in preparing Social Climate Plans, facilitating swift and effective implementation to maximize benefits for vulnerable groups; warns that the Social Climate Fund alone is unlikely to suffice to mitigate social impacts without targeted, adaptable measures to protect low-income households and citizens suffering from energy or transport poverty;

17. Welcomes the EUR 33,7 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 27 million in payment appropriations allocated to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the 2026 Union budget, recognizing its crucial role in preventing carbon leakage, strengthening global climate ambition, and ensuring fair competition for Union industries, particularly SMEs;

18. Regrets the significant reductions in funding for RescEU, with commitment appropriations decreasing by 20.7% (EUR 43.7 million less than in 2025); stresses that the RescEU mechanism has so far proven to be an instrumental and successful Union instrument in responding to crisis situations; considers that this reduction is particularly concerning given the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events and natural disasters, requiring effective Union coordination and robust disaster response capacities across Member States; emphasises the need to significantly increase the funding of the Union's capacities to ensure effective disaster prevention, preparedness and rapid response capabilities and coordination and cross-border preparedness; highlights that investing in prevention and early detection protects lives and is more efficient than responding to crises;

19. Welcomes the budget increases for the European agencies under the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety’s remit, specifically the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), while ensuring that funds are used efficiently and deliver tangible results; recognizes their crucial role in shaping science-based Union policymaking and underscores the need for their resources to keep pace with the Union’s expanding environmental challenges;

20. Regrets that the budgetary means allocated to the EEA are inadequate with regards to its recruitment needs and to fully support its activities and to facilitate the work of the Member States;

21. Stresses the need for Union agencies, in addition to scientific expertise, to further strengthen their capacities for public communication and the fight against disinformation in the field of climate change, health and food safety, with the aim of increasing citizens’ trust and society’s resilience to manipulation and non-scientific narratives;

22. Regrets the reduction in Horizon Europe appropriations affecting environmental research and innovation; calls for the restoration of funding to levels that ensure that the union remains a region of research excellence; highlights the synergic potential of focussing research on technologies that enhance both environmental protection and industrial competitiveness, as reflected in the Draghi report;

23. Recalls the importance of reformed and sustainable Union own resources structures to ensure long-term budgetary stability and support for the Union’s climate and environmental goals; calls for the timely adoption and implementation of new own resources proposals to match the Union’s increasing financial needs;

24. Stresses the need to further develop and apply environmental and health impact assessment tools within the Union budget, ensuring that all 2026 spending lines contribute meaningfully to sustainability, pollution prevention, and climate resilience; calls for strengthened tracking and transparency mechanisms to measure the ecological effectiveness of Union investments.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The Chair in his capacity as rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[31], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	4.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	51 23 1
Members present for the final vote	Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Mathilde Androuët, Pascal Arimont, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Anja Arndt, Thomas Bajada, Alexander Bernhuber, Mohammed Chahim, Christophe Clergeau, Antonio Decaro, Viktória Ferenc, Pietro Fiocchi, Emmanouil Fragkos, Anne-Sophie Frigout, Heléne Fritzon, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Roman Haider, Martin Hojsík, Pär Holmgren, Romana Jerković, Marc Jongen, Radan Kanev, Ondřej Knotek, Stefan Köhler, Ewa Kopacz, András Tivadar Kulja, Katri Kulmuni, Peter Liese, César Luena, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Tilly Metz, Rasmus Nordqvist, Jutta Paulus, Michele Picaro, Jessica Polfjärd, Nicola Procaccini, Carola Rackete, Massimiliano Salini, Silvia Sardone, Oliver Schenk, Lena Schilling, Jonas Sjöstedt, Sander Smit, Susana Solís Pérez, Marta Temido, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Beatrice Timgren, Zala Tomašič, Dimitris Tsiodras, Ana Vasconcelos, Aurelijus Veryga, Alexandr Vondra, Emma Wiesner, Michal Wiezik, Anna Zalewska
Substitutes present for the final vote	Galato Alexandraki, Jeannette Baljeu, Hildegard Bentele, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Susanna Ceccardi, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Valérie Deloge, Sebastian Everding, Gabriella Gerzsenyi, Michalis Hadjipantela, Martin Häusling, Paolo Inselvini, Maria Noichl, Leire Pajín, Valentina Palmisano, Christine Singer
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Engin Eroglu, Volker Schnurrbusch, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

51	+
PPE	Pascal Arimont, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Hildegard Bentele, Alexander Bernhuber, Gabriella Gerzsenyi, Michalis Hadjipantela, Radan Kanev, Stefan Köhler, Ewa Kopacz, András Tivadar Kulja, Peter Liese, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Jessica Polfjärd, Massimiliano Salini, Oliver Schenk, Susana Solís Pérez, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Zala Tomašič, Dimitris Tsiodras, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
Renew	Jeannette Baljeu, Engin Eroglu, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Martin Hojsík, Katri Kulmuni, Christine Singer, Ana Vasconcelos, Emma Wiesner, Michal Wiezik
S&D	Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Thomas Bajada, Mohammed Chahim, Christophe Clergeau, Antonio Decaro, Heléne Fritzon, Romana Jerković, César Luena, Maria Noichl, Leire Pajín, Marta Temido
The Left	Sebastian Everding, Valentina Palmisano, Carola Rackete, Jonas Sjöstedt
Verts/ALE	Martin Häusling, Pär Holmgren, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Tilly Metz, Rasmus Nordqvist, Jutta Paulus, Lena Schilling

 

23	-
ECR	Galato Alexandraki, Pietro Fiocchi, Emmanouil Fragkos, Paolo Inselvini, Michele Picaro, Nicola Procaccini, Beatrice Timgren, Aurelijus Veryga, Alexandr Vondra, Anna Zalewska
ESN	Anja Arndt, Marc Jongen, Volker Schnurrbusch
PfE	Mathilde Androuët, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Susanna Ceccardi, Valérie Deloge, Viktória Ferenc, Anne-Sophie Frigout, Roman Haider, Ondřej Knotek, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Silvia Sardone

 

1	0
PPE	Sander Smit

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH (2.9.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 – all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Michalis Hadjipantela 

 

OPINION

The Committee on Public Health calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Calls on the Commission, Member States and relevant stakeholders to urgently identify practical solutions to build stronger, more resilient, more competitive, more accessible, and more affordable public health systems; stresses the need to allocate adequate human and financial resources to swiftly implement legislation in the areas of public health, focusing on several key priorities like the successful implementation of the European Health Data Space (EHDS), Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, the Healthier Together Initiative, the Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health,  the EU Research Mission on Cancer, the Action Plan on the Cybersecurity of Hospitals and Health Systems, the forthcoming  Critical Medicines Act, the General Pharmaceutical Law, the European Preparedness Union Strategy and the Medical Countermeasures Strategy, the Biotech Act, the Clinical Trials regulation, the AICare@EU and the One Health approach, in order to set strong foundations for a European Health Union, in line with Member States’ competences, and revitalise innovation sectors to better meet patient needs, promote preventive care and drive lasting impact;

2. Calls on the Commission to ensure that public health systems are duly recognised as a sector of strategic autonomy and security within Union funding frameworks; highlights that investments in public health infrastructure should prioritise underserved regions and social backgrounds, reducing disparities in access; calls for adequate funding for measures addressing social determinants of health, such as poverty, housing, education and food security, to reduce health inequalities and improve overall well-being;

3. Calls for the alignment of national recovery and cohesion funding with EU health objectives, supporting investments in resilient local health infrastructure, stockpiles, and training for frontline workers; identifies the importance of introducing mental health education and early prevention and diagnosis in school curricula; stresses that adequate funding should be allocated to prevention, vaccination and life-course immunisation; stresses the growing public health challenge of climate change; highlights that EU funding for climate adaptation should systematically integrate health-related risks, particularly those linked to extreme weather events, air quality, and vector-borne diseases;

4. Highlights the importance of enhancing the Union’s global role with the appropriate funding for initiatives that address public health globally, including the cooperation with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and global partners , including advancing the EU and WHO goals, and jointly securing UN Sustainable Development Goals, in regard to public health; welcomes the Commission's strategy for preparedness and response to future health threats, which focuses on a more stringent surveillance, on early warning and coordination between Member States;

5. Welcomes the proposed 17.6% increase in the EU4Health budget for 2026, compared to 2025 figures; stresses that this increase remains below the levels agreed in the MFF prior to the mid-term review; regrets that the Council proposed a cut of €97.3 million; calls for an agreement that increases the draft budget allocation for the EU4Health Programme; reiterates that this level is insufficient to meet the Union’s growing public health needs, increased demographic pressures and the programme’s core objectives, supporting actions that enhance the availability, accessibility and affordability of medicinal products, medical devices and crisis-relevant products;

6  Notes that strengthening Europe’s brain capital is essential to mitigate productivity losses, foster resilience and ensure long-term innovation capacity; reiterates the importance of a substantial increase in healthcare funding and the full execution of the budget lines, ensuring that resources reach beneficiary Member States and support tangible improvements to public health; recalls that the Draghi Report highlights that current EU programmes are underfunded, bureaucratic, and that fragmented spending and duplication of efforts undermines their impact and effectiveness; considers that the proposed funding for the Critical Medicines Act can hinder the effectiveness of the proposal;

7.  Stresses that the decreases in the Cohesion Fund have a detrimental effect in the health related categories covering services, infrastructure, equipment, digitalisation and resilience, with a substantially negative effect for regions and communities who receive the funds; calls on the Commission to develop and fund a targeted EU programme to improve access to health, as well as telemedicine services for remote, rural, and mountainous, island and outermost regions, supporting mobile health units, local telemedicine hubs, and incentives for medical staff, with particular attention to addressing existing health inequalities between Eastern and Western Member States, and ensuring fair distribution of resources in regions facing structural disadvantages;  

8  Calls for the alignment of national recovery and cohesion funding with EU health preparedness objectives, supporting investments in resilient local health infrastructure, stockpiles, and training for frontline workers; encourages the mobilisation of additional resources through alternative channels; calls on the Commission to mainstream public health objectives across budgetary instruments and funds, establishing health as a transversal investment priority within the MFF; calls for strict conditionality to ensure EU4Health funds are directed to investments that benefit public health, including strengthening sexual and reproductive health.

9. Stresses the need for transparent, result-oriented public health spending, with a focus on mental health, and neurological disorders, digital health, AMR,  zoonotic diseases, and non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, rare diseases and cancer, primary care, promotion of healthy lifestyles and investment in the health workforce, including targeted support for digital upskilling; highlights that regular reporting of key performance indicators is needed to increase the accountability and transparency of the EU budget; calls for synergies with the ESF+ programme to upskill and reskill healthcare professionals, especially in digital tools and community-based care models;

10. Underlines that combating AMR requires dedicated funding to support research into modern, innovative solutions; emphasizes that investing in high-quality public healthcare systems, including effective infection prevention and control measures, diagnostics, working conditions, clinical competencies, and accessibility awareness for the health workforce are key to reducing health inequalities across the Union;

11. Recalls the conclusions of the WHO report “Health and care workforce in Europe: time to act”, that mobility of health professionals should not be at the detriment of already understaffed areas; calls on the Commission to ensure the retention of healthcare professionals through targeted incentives, professional development opportunities and concrete measures to attract and support healthcare workers, particularly in underserved areas such as rural, remote and outermost regions; stresses the urgent need to improve the working conditions of healthcare professionals; underlines the crucial need to support the prompt training of new health professionals, including it as a priority to ESF+ and cohesion funds; calls for increased funding and targeted measures to improve access to high-quality healthcare services, innovative treatments for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, mental health conditions, rare diseases, and digital healthcare solutions , including early diagnosis, treatment of paediatric diseases, mental health support, and promotion of child-specific preventive care, including mental health programmes ;  calls for the allocation of specific budget lines in this regard, including training of mental health professionals, development of evidence-based prevention curricula and provision of digital tools for early detection and intervention, including the expansion of school and university-based mental health services and trainings;

12.  Reiterates the importance of cross-border accessible and affordable health care, cross-border mobility of patients, particularly transplant patients, as well as the mobility of health professionals and coordinated pandemic response mechanisms across the EU, and with co-operation with global partners; calls for increased funding for interoperability and interconnection of national health systems for the benefit of patients’ mobility;

13.  Calls for budget lines to support the digital transformation in health, including robotic and AI innovation in diagnostics and treatments in care, which should include a strong human dimension, with a particular focus on children;

14. Emphasizes the need for targeted funding and regulatory support for the development, approval, and uptake of innovative medical technologies, including medical devices and in vitro diagnostics; highlights the need for dedicated funding for stockpiling, joint procurement, support for health system reform, a shift towards preventable health systems, rapid response mechanisms, crisis preparedness and disease prevention to address strategic vulnerabilities; highlights the importance of the EU Preparedness Strategy, which requires sufficient funding and operational capacity support from relevant agencies in order to strengthen detection and identification of health threats and stimulate crucial innovation in research, development and production of medical countermeasures;

15.  Commends the ongoing progress of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU Research Mission on Cancer and suggests the update of key performance indicators for its implementation across member states; calls for the 2026 budget to prioritise EU support for childhood cancer and to sustain progress and support continuation of high value cross-border cancer projects, such as the EU cancer survivor smartcard; recognises the increase of health-related disinformation, therefore calls for funding initiatives that tackle disinformation and support digital skills and health literacy; calls for increased and sustained support for the European Reference Networks (ERNs) and strengthening clinical collaboration across Member States;

16.  Calls for targeted EU funding to support the implementation of the psychosocial approach to mental health based on human rights and recovery, with a strong focus on young people and children; highlights the need to integrate mental health priorities across EU4Health, Horizon Europe, and related programmes; stresses that funding must reflect the urgency of the youth mental health crisis, including challenges stemming from the online environment;

17. Stresses that the proposed reductions to the cluster “Health” of Horizon Europe, supported by the Council, will have a detrimental effect on the research and innovation for health, including the development and manufacturing of biotechnologies and advanced neuroscience solutions, severely impacting European research excellence, competitiveness, strategic autonomy, treatment gap and the quality of healthcare provided as a result of the research; calls for the increase of these appropriations to reflect the commitment of the European Commission in maintaining the European Union’s leadership in academic research and ground-breaking health innovation, protecting the European manufacturing and skills base; stresses the importance of coherence between legislation and funding, so as to reduce barriers to entry, and strengthen the internal market;

18.  Recalls that the Draghi Report proposes the doubling of the EU research and innovation budget, specifically to boost competitiveness, health innovation, and resilience; highlights the findings of the Letta Report on a resilient European healthcare sector, calling on the EU to act decisively to foster integration, research, collaboration and strategic autonomy in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, and reduce dependency on third countries for critical supply chains, by investing in self-sufficiency, joint procurement, and supply chain security; underlines that such reductions in research and innovation have a particularly devastating impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups , which are key drivers of innovation in health and biotechnology—sectors that form a fundamental pillar of European competitiveness and its ability to deliver high-quality healthcare for all;

19.  Calls for increased investment in advanced therapeutic approaches, including gene and cell therapies, to address unmet medical needs; underlines the importance of strengthening the EU’s capacity for research, clinical trials, manufacturing, and equitable access to these innovative treatments, ensuring a fair return of public investment on patient outcome; proposes that InvestEU includes a public health investment programme, to attract private and public co-financing for medical innovation, cross-border health infrastructure and digital solutions;

20.  Stresses that the increasingly unstable geopolitical situation highlights that preparedness and response to public health threats should be an essential part of the EU Security and Defence plan; highlights the benefits of synergies between partnerships and investments; Recognises the importance of taking into account the healthcare sector’s preparedness for external threats, as highlighted in the Niinistö report; underlines that, in the event of a military or security crisis, the healthcare sector plays a critical role in ensuring medical assistance, emergency response, and civilian protection; recalls for the inclusion of adequate and dedicated funding to strengthen the preparedness and resilience of healthcare systems, including infrastructure, civil–military coordination, medical supplies, human resources, and emergency response capacities; calls for dedicated support for the scale-up of health-related SMEs, especially those active in medical technology;

21. Recognises that the increase in the commitment appropriations of the European Medicines Agency, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control merely cover the effects of inflation, and do not reflect an investment in upgrading their services and operational capabilities; calls for adequate, and  a better allocation of funding based on the operational programme and directives of these agencies; highlights the importance of effectively allocating appropriate human and financial resources to all relevant DGs and agencies; calls for further support for the digital and operational upgrading of these agencies to ensure full coordination, especially during health emergencies;

22. Calls for the adequate and predictable funding of health related civil society organisations and NGOs, particularly those working on information, prevention, patient representation and patient care; highlights the need to safeguard the role of stakeholders in meeting and accelerating public health needs with transparent and unbiased procedures to ensure a regular dialogue with EU institutions, contributing to democratic participation in health policy.

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[32], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	1.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	27 4 1
Members present for the final vote	Christine Anderson, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Stine Bosse, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Laurent Castillo, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Christophe Clergeau, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Viktória Ferenc, Michalis Hadjipantela, Gerald Hauser, Martin Häusling, Adam Jarubas, András Tivadar Kulja, Peter Liese, Tilly Metz, Alessandra Moretti, Victor Negrescu, Nikos Papandreou, Oliver Schenk, Tomislav Sokol, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu
Substitutes present for the final vote	Sebastian Everding, Tomáš Kubín, Liesbet Sommen, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Marta Temido, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Kristian Vigenin
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Dan Barna, Dimitris Tsiodras, Marion Walsmann

 

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

27	+
PPE	Bartosz Arłukowicz, Laurent Castillo, Michalis Hadjipantela, Adam Jarubas, András Tivadar Kulja, Peter Liese, Oliver Schenk, Tomislav Sokol, Liesbet Sommen, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Dimitris Tsiodras
PfE	Viktória Ferenc, Tomáš Kubín
Renew	Dan Barna, Stine Bosse, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová
S&D	Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Christophe Clergeau, Alessandra Moretti, Victor Negrescu, Nikos Papandreou, Marta Temido, Kristian Vigenin
The Left	Sebastian Everding
Verts/ALE	Martin Häusling, Tilly Metz, Nicolae Ștefănuță

 

4	-
ESN	Christine Anderson
PfE	Gerald Hauser, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión
Renew	Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu

 

1	0
PfE	Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE INTERNAL MARKET AND CONSUMER PROTECTION (15.7.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Maria Grapini

 

OPINION

The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Calls for the Union budget for 2026 to contribute to enhancing the competitiveness strengthening the functioning of the single market, supporting the transition to a digital, sustainable, competitive and carbon-neutral social market economy, to promote and protect the interests of European consumers by ensuring a high standard of protection, especially in the light of new challenges from the online sphere, and to remove all unjustified barriers to hampering its functioning; reduce unjustified administrative burdens for companies, and ensure adequate implementation, compliance and enforcement of existing legislation, highlights the need to strengthening and increasing the resilience of the single market, as well as its accessibility for business, aiming at increasing EU trade flows, securing supply chains and achieving value chains, thus contributing to economic growth; stresses that the single market is an essential element for achieving a globally competitive, business-friendly, circular, net-zero carbon and resource- and energy-efficient economy; welcomes, in this regard, the work done so far on circular economy, focusing on removing market barriers, ensuring consumers rights and promoting sustainable business models;

2. Highlights that the multiple challenges facing Europe require increased investment and coordination at European level and calls on the Commission to propose a Union budget for 2026 that reflects the urgent nature of these challenges and ensures the future of Europe’s strategic autonomy; the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, hybrid attacks on Member States and foreign interference, among others, underline the need for the single market to be resilient and ready to deal with emergencies in the internal market, securing supply chains and access to critical raw materials; calls on the European Commission to take into account, when allocating budgets, mitigating the effects of the war in Ukraine on Member States, especially on those with a common border;

3. Underlines the unprecedented security crisis faced by the Union, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and highlights the increased security risks in the current geopolitical situation, especially for those Member States neighbouring conflict areas; calls on the Commission to ensure that the Union budget prioritises investment towards further building the single market into the area of security and defence, reducing cross-border barriers, promoting standardisation and interoperability of defence and dual-use equipment, investing in European Defence Projects of Common Interest, which have the potential to boost integration on the single market; stresses that further single market integration in the area of security and defence is key to boosting the competitiveness and production capabilities of the European Defence Technology Industrial Base, supporting European microenterprises and SMEs, fostering innovation and allowing them to scale-up and become strong global players;

4. Recalls the need to strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the EU economy, through ambitious EU industrial policies that can significantly contribute to achieving the EU’s social, digital, environmental and economic growth objectives, while maintaining a level playing field and legal certainty in the single market and reducing unjustified regulatory and administrative burdens to unlock the full potential of cross-border trade, particularly in services; calls for a genuine Competitiveness Fund setting the macroeconomic conditions for enhancing investment in key sectors in need; stresses that the new Competitiveness Fund should further contribute to strengthening the Single Market and strengthening its resilience whilst ensuring simplification and flexibility of funds; highlights in this regard, the recently proposed Competitiveness Compass for the EU in order to safeguard the EU’s future as an economic powerhouse, an investment destination and a manufacturing centre;

5.  Recalls the conclusions of the Draghi report, highlighting that 30% of European ‘unicorn’ companies seek funding and growth outside of Europe; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2026 Union budget prioritises investment in innovation, promoting measures that render the single market more accessible for technology and innovation start-ups, especially through simplified rules for business, reducing administrative burdens linked to the use of funds under the Union budget; highlights that the simplification of budgetary rules and procedures is essential for encouraging business to make full use of the benefits associated to the single market and scale-up in Europe:

6. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the 2026 Union budget increases resources supporting the proper application of single market rules and consumer rights, including product safety regulations; recalls the European Commission investigations into non-EU e-commerce platforms on the basis of non-compliance with single market and consumer rights rules; underlines the need to allocate budgetary resources for building common European capabilities, such as product-testing facilities, in order to support investigations into actors selling non-compliant products on the single market; stresses that the application of single market rules is essential for ensuring fair competition, protecting European consumers, promoting trust between businesses and consumers and preventing market distortions; stresses the importance of strengthening the enforcement of consumer rights at EU and national level, coordinating EU and national enforcement actions for increased efficiency as well as and improving consumers’ awareness of their rights;

7.  Considers it necessary to intensify support for Member States in the digital transformation of the public sector, with particular attention to administrative procedures impacting businesses and consumers, enabling seamless access to digital public services;

8. Welcomes the increase in the number of staff responsible for the enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) and considers it essential to ensure sufficient funding and staffing to ensure an effective, appropriate and proper enforcement of the DMA and the DSA addressing the current imbalance of resources between enforcement authorities and digital platforms; notes that the EU’s technological sovereignty depends on the proper enforcement of these regulations; stresses the importance of combating foreign interference, ensuring consumer protection, addressing the dangers of dark patterns, addictive design and biased algorithms, especially for youngsters,  and protecting the transparency, accountability and integrity of the digital public space;

9. Insists that additional funding is needed to ensure the proper enforcement of the AI ​​Act, by providing the necessary staff to the European AI Office, while supporting research and development of AI-based solutions and innovative approaches that enhance the EU’s technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy;

10. Underlines that the Single Market Programme should seek to strengthen the capacity of contracting authorities to carry out strategic public procurement, particularly by enhancing their ability to design accessible tenders and reduce administrative burdens; highlights that better-skilled and better-resourced procurement authorities are essential to ensuring procurement serves the public interest through the diligent use of taxpayers’ money, facilitating access for SMEs, aligning procedures with best practices, and delivering more effective, impactful, and long-term investments;

11. Stresses the urgent need to allocate adequate resources to strengthen the customs union and increase the resilience and effectiveness of customs and market surveillance authorities, enabling them to carry out more systematic checks on products and respond effectively to the growing influx of non-compliant, unsafe and illegal products imported via e-commerce platforms from non-EU countries; highlights the extremely rapid growth of individual parcels imported in the Union, directly by customers, through non-EU e-commerce platforms; stresses the need for better cooperation among customs authorities and uptake of IT tools as well as further resources dedicated to ensuring thorough customs checks of such parcels, in order to determine their compliance with EU standards, protect consumers and ensure a level playing field for European business; calls for more resources to develop digital tools in order to improve customs efficiency among national authorities; underlines the role of a robust customs system in protecting the EU's economic resilience and competitiveness by making cross-border trade more efficient and in combating illicit activities in the market, protecting consumers and eliminating unfair competition.

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[33], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	15.7.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	36 4 10
Members present for the final vote	Peter Agius, Alex Agius Saliba, Pablo Arias Echeverría, Laura Ballarín Cereza, Katarina Barley, Arno Bausemer, Biljana Borzan, Anna Cavazzini, Stefano Cavedagna, David Cormand, Henrik Dahl, Dóra Dávid, Adnan Dibrani, Elisabeth Dieringer, Regina Doherty, Christian Doleschal, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Hanna Gedin, Sandro Gozi, Maria Grapini, Elisabeth Grossmann, Maria Guzenina, Svenja Hahn, Anna-Maja Henriksson, Virginie Joron, Arba Kokalari, Pierfrancesco Maran, Nikola Minchev, Piotr Müller, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Reinis Pozņaks, Christel Schaldemose, Andreas Schwab, Tomislav Sokol, Dimitris Tsiodras, Inese Vaidere, Kim Van Sparrentak, Marion Walsmann
Substitutes present for the final vote	Jaroslav Bžoch, Alexandra Geese, Sebastian Kruis, Judita Laššáková, Idoia Mendia, Zala Tomašič, Yvan Verougstraete
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Mireia Borrás Pabón, Bogdan Rzońca, Antonella Sberna, Volker Schnurrbusch, Diego Solier

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

36	+
NI	Judita Laššáková
PPE	Peter Agius, Pablo Arias Echeverría, Henrik Dahl, Dóra Dávid, Regina Doherty, Christian Doleschal, Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Arba Kokalari, Andreas Schwab, Tomislav Sokol, Zala Tomašič, Dimitris Tsiodras, Inese Vaidere, Marion Walsmann
Renew	Sandro Gozi, Svenja Hahn, Anna-Maja Henriksson, Nikola Minchev, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Yvan Verougstraete
S&D	Alex Agius Saliba, Laura Ballarín Cereza, Katarina Barley, Biljana Borzan, Adnan Dibrani, Maria Grapini, Elisabeth Grossmann, Maria Guzenina, Pierfrancesco Maran, Idoia Mendia, Christel Schaldemose
Verts/ALE	Anna Cavazzini, David Cormand, Alexandra Geese, Kim Van Sparrentak

 

4	-
ESN	Arno Bausemer, Volker Schnurrbusch
PfE	Virginie Joron
The Left	Hanna Gedin

 

10	0
ECR	Stefano Cavedagna, Piotr Müller, Reinis Pozņaks, Bogdan Rzońca, Antonella Sberna, Diego Solier
PfE	Mireia Borrás Pabón, Jaroslav Bžoch, Elisabeth Dieringer, Sebastian Kruis

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[34], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (25.9.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

on general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 – all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Dario Nardella

 

 

OPINION

The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

General budgetary considerations for the Common Agricultural Policy

1. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal to allocate EUR 56,97 billion in commitment appropriations and EUR 53,13 billion in payment appropriations under Heading 3 “Natural Resources and Environment”, and notes that EUR 54,79 billion of those commitment appropriations is dedicated to Cluster 8 “Agriculture and Maritime Policy”, an increase of 0,8 % compared to 2025; stresses that the current allocation should be increased to better reflect the growing challenges in rural areas, including depopulation, digital divide, and climate change adaptation; deplores the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget cuts in the MFF revision, which particularly affect market and promotion measures in the 2026 budget; insists that revenues or repayments from agriculture remain within the agriculture component of Heading 3 “Natural Resources and Environment”;

2.  Deplores the proposal of merging CAP with cohesion funds and calls for a separate, dedicated and strengthened CAP budget in the future MFF 2028-2034; stresses the need to restore adequate funding for CAP technical assistance; rejects the proposal to replace EAGF and EAFRD with a single National and Regional Partnership Fund, stressing that CAP must remain an EU policy with two pillars, and not nationalised policy lacking a level-playing field, especially in the current context of low agricultural prices, rising input costs, trade pressures and climate change impacts; deplores the progressive erosion of CAP support due to the lack of effective inflation adjustment mechanisms; underlines that the 2 % MFF deflator does not offset real inflation, which has reduced the value of direct payments and farmers’ incomes while costs and administrative burden remain significant and societal expectations have increased; calls, therefore, for higher CAP funding and automatic adjustment mechanisms to safeguard profitability;

Objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy

3. Recalls that Article 39 TFEU sets out the objectives of CAP, which include support to fair living standards for farmers, market stability, increased productivity by promoting technical progress and by ensuring the rational development of agricultural production and the optimum utilisation of the factors of production, safeguarding the food supply, taking into account the particular nature of agricultural activity, and maintaining fair prices for consumers; stresses that those objectives must continue to guide the EU’s priorities as regards agricultural spending and trade policy and cannot be subordinated to changing external policy pressures or to other EU policies and objectives; emphasises agriculture’s strategic importance in delivering on key EU priorities such as food security, sustainable and competitive growth, social inclusion , vibrant rural communities, climate resilience, biodiversity and animal welfare; acknowledges the limited budgetary impact of the recent CAP simplification measures and efforts to reduce farmers’ administrative burden such as the proposed flexibility and the simplified provisions for small and medium-sized farms; furthermore reiterates the crucial role of agricultural and rural development policies, in particular the CAP, in achieving a high level of food security and strategic autonomy for the EU, taking into account food needs, ensuring fair income for farmers and sustainability of EU agricultural production as well as promoting sustainable food systems; stresses that agriculture can contribute to the EU environmental objectives where farmers are incentivised and fairly remunerated, with reduced regulatory and administrative burden; underlines that through the CAP, farmers have already made significant efforts to integrate those objectives; warns however that, without adequate resources, the CAP cannot remain a key driver of the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the EU agriculture;

European Agricultural Guarantee Fund

4. Notes with considerable concern the significant reduction of the margin under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) sub-ceiling to just EUR 76 million, which reduces the EU’s flexibility to respond to unforeseen shocks such as geopolitical instability, trade disputes, price shocks, climate-related events, epizootic diseases, or market volatility; stresses, in this regard, that the EAGF must be flexible and adequate in order to tackle the crises in the EU through the crisis reserve; highlights the importance of risk prevention in order to reduce the risks posed by future climate, health and market shocks;

Geopolitical context and strategic resilience

5. Draws attention to the ongoing impact of  Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on EU agricultural markets, including rising input costs, supply chain disruptions, and regional instability, as well as additional pressures from multiple crises such as high fertiliser and energy prices and other geopolitical tensions; stresses that the framework agreement with the United States on transatlantic tariffs will increase pressure on EU farmers notably in sensitive sectors such as wine and dairy and underscores the need for a strong and coordinated EU response; stresses the importance of protecting domestic production and farmers’ contractual stability against speculation, price shocks, and market disruptions; notes the resilience of the agri-food sector, particularly in Member States that have absorbed the most severe shocks while urging the Commission to ensure that the 2026 budget provides sufficient flexibility and strategic capacity to tackle evolving geopolitical, climate and trade-related risks, including through reinforced crisis reserve mechanisms, adequate compensation measures against unfair trade, and external promotion of EU products; urges allocation of adequate resources to help farmers cope with inflation, fuel costs, global market changes, and adverse weather events; stresses the need for a fair distribution of CAP support between and within Member States; underlines that previous enlargements have influenced the shape and size of the EU budget and led to lasting reforms of the CAP; stresses the importance of strategic preparation for future EU enlargement to ensure stability of the agricultural sector and fair prices for consumers, including an impact assessment on the integration of Ukraine’s agricultural sector into the CAP; stresses the importance of supporting Ukraine in aligning its standards with EU standards, strengthen governance and modernise rural infrastructure while taking into account, throughout this process, the interests of EU farmers; highlights in this regard the severe impact of temporary trade liberalisation with Ukraine on some domestic markets, resulting in significant losses for local producers; underlines the potential of creating strategic regional food reserves and warehouses to ensure supply continuity, stimulate rural processing infrastructure, and strengthen food security, ensuring access to affordable food in emergency situations;

Trade and the fight against unfair competition

6. Stresses that the CAP budget must be aligned with international trade commitments and EU global food security responsibilities; calls for all trade agreements to respect the principle of reciprocity, ensuring that imports comply with equivalent environmental, social, or food safety and animal health and welfare standards in order to prevent unfair competition and safeguard EU production standards; calls for the strict application of safeguard clauses and the introduction of traceability mechanisms to protect the internal market and farmers' incomes; urges the Commission to conduct a comprehensive impact assessment of the EU trade agreements on EU agricultural markets and rural  economies and ensure that the 2026 budget provides sufficient flexibility and financial capacity to mitigate and compensate the impacts of new trade agreements on the agricultural sector; calls furthermore for a targeted policy review to protect the EU agri-food sector from unfair competition;

Crisis preparedness and risk management

7. Takes note that the 2026 agricultural reserve has been reinstated at EUR 450 million and is fully financed with new appropriations with no recourse to financial discipline while 2025 agricultural reserve has been partly financed through the carry-over of the 2024 funds; welcomes this reinstatement as it reflects the growing need for risk management; acknowledges that the amount, fixed at current prices since 2021 under Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council[35], is insufficient to address today’s challenges; urges the Commission to improve the agricultural reserve’s accessibility and activation mechanisms by establishing, through the 2025 Omnibus packages, new tools for managing natural, market and health risks, ensuring that funds follow objective and transparent allocation criteria and reach farmers swiftly and fairly with priority to the most affected, to restore their livelihoods and economic activity; stresses that any new mechanisms must be accompanied by adequate additional funding to guarantee effectiveness; highlights that the agricultural reserve should be used transparently, purposefully and proactively and reiterates the need to assess options for mobilising additional funds outside the CAP; notes that the agricultural reserve cannot fully offset the consequences of climate-driven extreme weather events, therefore encourages Member States to support insurance, adaptation, prevention and preparedness for farmers, foresters, agricultural workers and rural communities; calls for a specific  mechanism to swiftly support farmers hit by animal disease outbreaks, ensuring business continuity, income stability and rural resilience;

8. Notes that despite the increase of the agricultural reserve, the overall financial space under EAGF remains narrow, and reiterates the need to fully utilise all flexibility instruments under the MFF, including unused margins and special instruments, both in response to agri-food shocks and in order to refill the crisis reserve; stresses the need to invest in preparedness, prevention and adaptation measures and early-warning systems; urges the Commission to ensure the agricultural reserve has adequate resources for market stabilisation and rapid crisis response and ensure the swifter activation and allocation of support, including the development of stockpiling strategies to safeguard food security in agricultural or geopolitical emergencies;

Generational renewal and social resilience

9. Reaffirms the urgency of supporting generational renewal in agriculture; regrets the lack of a visible increase in the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) allocations dedicated to young farmers and new entrants into farming; urges the Commission and Member States to prioritise, strengthen and facilitate start-up support and access to affordable land and finance under the CAP Strategic Plans, particularly for young farmers and new entrants into farming; underlines the need for adequate resources to provide training for new entrants into farming as well as to establish dedicated credit guarantee schemes; recognises that young farmers face difficulties accessing finance and knowledge, and urges therefore the Commission and Member States to better address those challenges to secure fair income and long-term perspectives; draws attention to the ageing of rural population, persistent gender gaps, and high rates of young people neither in employment nor in education or  training and emphasises support for initiatives under the Rural Pact and strong financial and political backing for farm modernisation, access to land, and vocational training;

10. Highlights persistent disparities between more and less developed regions in accessing support and stresses that generational renewal depends on integrated strategies to enhance the attractiveness of rural life and work; calls therefore on the Commission to propose differentiated measures reflecting outward-migration, demographic ageing, and land abandonment; calls on the Commission to support Member States in identifying mechanisms for dignified farmers retirement;

Sectoral programmes and competitiveness

11. Expresses serious concern over the complete removal of funding for promotion programmes under direct management, which previously supported EU agri-food exports and consumer awareness; regrets the significant cuts made to those programmes as a result of the mid-term review of the MFF; calls for the full reinstatement and adequate funding of those programmes, in order to strengthen the competitiveness, trade opportunities and reputation of EU production and exports; considers the reduction of support for promotion activities counterproductive in a context where producers face increased competition, and calls for a dedicated budget to be allocated for the promotion of products from disadvantaged and mountainous areas, with a focus on quality and traceability; urges the Commission to actively promote EU farmers and the agricultural sector both locally and through a dynamic, comprehensive EU export policy covering all agricultural products;

12. Welcomes the significant increase in sectoral allocations for fruit and vegetables and stresses the importance of protecting them from unfair competition as well as maintaining support for these and other vulnerable sectors (e.g. apiculture, wine, olive and sunflower oil)which contribute to food security, sustainable growth, rural development and employment, and reflect the quality, tradition and excellence of the EU;

13. Reiterates the value of the EU school schemes for fruit, vegetables and milk in promoting healthy diets and positive attitudes toward farming, while indirectly contributing to the improvement of children's health, well-being, overall development and academic performance, helping to reduce social inequalities and early school leaving; calls for stable, transparent, and increased funding to ensure continuity, broader reach and awareness of those schemes across all Member States and regions, as well as a better quality of the products distributed; encourages sourcing from local and community producers, prioritising, where possible, seasonal and minimally packaged products and short supply chains in order to foster rural development; underlines in that regard farmers’ key role in delivering quality food, ensuring strategic autonomy and safeguarding food security;

Rural development and innovation

14.  Supports the proposed allocation of EUR 13,3 billion to the EAFRD and stresses the importance of maintaining support for rural communities, smart villages, the development of rural infrastructure, such as energy grids, as well as innovation, thereby fostering employment, sustainable growth,  local development in rural areas, while providing start-up and investment support to farmers and businesses; calls for prioritising projects that safeguard agricultural jobs, create quality employment, safeguard labour rights and help tackle rural poverty and social exclusion;

Sustainable water and soil management

15. Emphasises the need to invest in sustainable water management, including the protection of wetlands as natural water-storage buffers alongside the capture, retention and efficient management of water resources and the development of strategic water storage basins, including for rainwater; calls for increased financial support to modernise and develop irrigation, precision farming and hydraulic infrastructure, making it more efficient, resilient and sustainable, through proven water-saving technologies; stresses that these investments  must ensure fair access to water resources for all farmers, irrespective of farm size, safeguarding property rights; stresses the importance of investing in soil resilience, particularly in light of increasing climate variability and the rising risks of drought, fires, floods and soil degradation and erosion within CAP Strategic Plans; recalls that adequate quantities of quality water are essential for both crop irrigation and livestock farming and that investment in modern irrigation is vital for ensuring food security and shielding farmers from impacts of extreme weather events related to climate change; notes that access to EU funds for water storage facilities remains difficult and that current investments are insufficient; calls therefore for the mobilisation of additional financial instruments for this purpose;

Digitalisation and precision farming

16. Encourages further integration of digitalisation and precision farming into rural development objectives; highlights that this requires adequate funding to guarantee broadband access in all rural areas and urges the Commission to streamline and make more user-friendly the access to EU digital funding for all, but especially small and medium-sized farms; stresses that digitalisation is a tool for achieving more efficient, sustainable, traceable, socially responsible and high-performing agriculture, thereby making rural employment and areas more attractive and enabling new businesses to develop; underlines that digitalisation is also a crucial tool for the enhancement of inland areas and for combating depopulation; highlights the need to address the digital  divide among farmers by providing targeted training, education, and support, particularly for small-scale farms and older farmers; recalls the importance of ensuring that research results reach farm level and are translated into farm advisory services that are accessible, affordable, practical, and tailored to farmer’s needs; draws attention to the role of stronger Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), as well as the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), in encouraging innovation projects and promoting their uptake;

17.  Calls for increased and adequate funding for research, development and innovation in the agri-food sector, including safe and sustainable alternatives to pesticides, such as biological control solutions, and emphasises the need for targeted investment in precision agriculture, adaptation to climate change, biotechnologies, including new genomic techniques, artificial intelligence and robotics, so as to optimise productivity while reducing inputs, costs and emissions; welcomes the proposed increase of EUR 34 662 944 in the budget line for “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment” compared to 2025, and calls for this funding to be prioritised towards farm-level innovation and practical solutions; underlines that financial support should also cover circular economy projects such as the use of digestate and RENURE fertilisers, renewable energy production, and incentives for the efficient use of biomass, agricultural waste and co-products to enhance farm energy autonomy and resilience; highlights the potential of emerging technologies and production models such as agriphotovoltaics,  and controlled-environment agriculture, which enables innovative and resource-efficient food production systems; stresses that those models can deliver multiple benefits, including clean energy, improved soil and crop performance, diversification of farmers’ incomes, resilience against climate impacts, and greater competitiveness and reduced reliance on imports; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide appropriate funding, tailored policy tools and access to the European Investment Bank Group financing to support their further development and uptake;

POSEI

18. Highlights the strategic importance of the POSEI programme in ensuring the continuity of agricultural activity in the outermost regions, preserving food sovereignty and enhancing  their economic, social and territorial cohesion, in line with Article 349 TFEU; deplores that the POSEI financial envelope has remained unchanged for over a decade and that the Commission has not applied the 2 % deflator set by the European Council conclusions of 17-21 July 2020; calls, therefore, on the Commission to present a substantial update of the programme, ensuring both the application of the deflator and an adequate increase in financial allocations both under the current MFF and the MFF 2028–2034, taking into account inflation, structurally higher production and transport costs, territorial fragmentation, growing exposure to extreme weather events, market volatility, and the logistical challenges of supply chains in the outermost regions; underlines the need to establish a specific mechanism to mitigate additional transport costs and to reward the environmental services provided by farmers in the outermost regions, in line with the EU’s climate and environmental objectives;

Combating animal diseases

19. Welcomes the paper presented by several Member States at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in May 2025, noting the growing spread of different animal diseases such as avian influenza, bluetongue, peste des petits ruminants, foot and mouth disease and African swine fever; calls on the Commission to intensify preventive measures, present an EU vaccination strategy backed by dedicated funding; calls for strengthened EU-level coordination on veterinary vaccine purchase and supply through a preparedness mechanism, and for fostering vaccine development within the EU; urges the Commission to increase allocations for compensation following animal and plant diseases, as the current veterinary and phytosanitary funding for 2025–2027 proved inadequate; underlines the need for adequate funding to step up prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging animal diseases, and support research of sustainable solutions, including genetic selection for disease resistance, while reducing reliance on costly treatments; calls therefore for the establishment of a dedicated EU compensation mechanism to provide swift, fair and adequate financial support to farmers affected by epidemics or outbreaks of animal diseases, ensuring business continuity and strengthening the resilience of rural communities. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[36], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	24.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	32 3 13
Members present for the final vote	Arno Bausemer, Stefano Bonaccini, Mireia Borrás Pabón, Daniel Buda, Asger Christensen, Barry Cowen, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Ivan David, Valérie Deloge, Salvatore De Meo, Csaba Dömötör, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Sebastian Everding, Luke Ming Flanagan, Maria Grapini, Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Krzysztof Hetman, Céline Imart, Elsi Katainen, Stefan Köhler, Tomáš Kubín, Camilla Laureti, Norbert Lins, Cristina Maestre, Dario Nardella, Maria Noichl, Gilles Pennelle, André Rodrigues, Katarína Roth Neveďalová, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Arash Saeidi, Eric Sargiacomo, Christine Singer, Raffaele Stancanelli, Anna Strolenberg, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Veronika Vrecionová, Thomas Waitz, Maria Walsh
Substitutes present for the final vote	Alexander Bernhuber, Benoit Cassart, Dan-Ştefan Motreanu, Claudiu-Richard Târziu, Anna Zalewska
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Gabriela Firea, Aurelijus Veryga

 

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

32	+
ECR	Bert-Jan Ruissen, Claudiu-Richard Târziu, Aurelijus Veryga, Veronika Vrecionová, Anna Zalewska
NI	Katarína Roth Neveďalová
PPE	Daniel Buda, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Salvatore De Meo, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Herbert Dorfmann, Krzysztof Hetman, Céline Imart, Stefan Köhler, Norbert Lins, Dan-Ştefan Motreanu, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Maria Walsh
Renew	Benoit Cassart, Asger Christensen, Barry Cowen, Elsi Katainen, Christine Singer
S&D	Stefano Bonaccini, Gabriela Firea, Maria Grapini, Camilla Laureti, Cristina Maestre, Dario Nardella, André Rodrigues, Eric Sargiacomo

 

3	-
The Left	Sebastian Everding, Luke Ming Flanagan, Arash Saeidi

 

13	0
ESN	Arno Bausemer, Ivan David
PfE	Mireia Borrás Pabón, Valérie Deloge, Csaba Dömötör, Tomáš Kubín, Gilles Pennelle, Raffaele Stancanelli
S&D	Maria Noichl
Verts/ALE	Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Anna Strolenberg, Thomas Waitz

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	1.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	27 4 1
Members present for the final vote	Christine Anderson, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Stine Bosse, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Laurent Castillo, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Christophe Clergeau, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Viktória Ferenc, Michalis Hadjipantela, Gerald Hauser, Martin Häusling, Adam Jarubas, András Tivadar Kulja, Peter Liese, Tilly Metz, Alessandra Moretti, Victor Negrescu, Nikos Papandreou, Oliver Schenk, Tomislav Sokol, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu
Substitutes present for the final vote	Sebastian Everding, Tomáš Kubín, Liesbet Sommen, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Marta Temido, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Kristian Vigenin
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Dan Barna, Dimitris Tsiodras, Marion Walsmann

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES (25.9.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

on General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Giuseppe Lupo

 

OPINION

The Committee on Fisheries calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Recalls the strategic role of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the economic, social, and environmental importance of fisheries, aquaculture, and maritime affairs, in ensuring food security, healthy and resilient marine ecosystems, and also a sustainable and equitable blue economy; highlights the importance of aquatic food products in healthy diets, that are rich in protein, and among the most sustainable animal protein sources, with a low-carbon footprint - depending on the fishing or production method; also highlights the importance of those products being harvested in full respect of environmental measures;

2. Recalls that fisheries, aquaculture and processing sectors are fundamental pillars of the economic, social and cultural fabric of Union coastal and island communities and that the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is a fundamental funding programme for fishers and for the cohesion of coastal and island communities; highlights its importance also in light of the post-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF);

3. Calls on the Commission to secure sufficient funding for the full implementation of the CFP by strengthening EMFAF as an independent and well-resourced instrument; stresses that the next MFF must provide sufficient financial support as well as investments opportunities for the EU fisheries and aquaculture sectors, in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals and the WTO agreement, to ensure a fair standard of living for fishers and aquaculture producers and to support their vital role in ensuring Union food security, as well as to enhance their competitiveness and innovation capacity, and to facilitate their commitment to modernisation and decarbonisation;

4. Regrets that the current EMFAF under both direct and indirect management has been reduced by EUR 105 million for the period 2025–2027; notes that those cuts run counter to the Commission’s stated ambitions for healthier seas and oceans, competitiveness and supporting the blue economy energy transition; also expresses it opposition to the Council position on the 2026 General Budget that proposes an additional cut of EUR 877 542 (EUR 397 805 in EMFAF and 479 737 in EFCA);

5. Welcomes the adoption of the European Ocean Pact (EOP) recalling the importance played by thriving and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the well-being of coastal economies and healthy oceans; welcomes especially the emphasis on a holistic, ecosystem-based approach, an approach that is crucial and must be better implemented for several sea basins such as the Baltic Sea;

6.  Welcomes the Commission’s forthcoming Ocean Act and emphasises that the implementation of the initiatives provided for therein requires specific and sufficient public funding, and expects that act to include clear targets with concrete measures and actions in order to align with the social, economic, and environmental objectives;

7. Calls on the Commission to carry out a comprehensive analysis of all existing ocean-related measures and funding instruments, with a view to simplifying, streamlining and facilitating access to EMFAF, especially for SMEs and small-scale fishers and aquaculture producers, while also identifying opportunities to increase financial support, in particular for investment in research, scientific cooperation, and innovation;

8. Expresses its concerns for the ongoing consequences of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine which severely impact the fisheries sector; underlines the impacts of trade disruptions, increased price volatility, energy cost surges, drifting sea mines in the Black Sea, continued imports of Russian fisheries and aquaculture products, and ecological damage such as habitat destruction and pollution; recalls that those disruptions have affected fishing operations, particularly in the Black Sea, threatening fishers’ livelihoods and requiring sustained use of EMFAF crisis measures;

9. Emphasises the importance of scientific data, including social, environmental and economic marine-related data, to strengthen sustainable resource ecosystem-based fisheries management and calls for enhanced support from the Union and Member States for scientific institutions in respect of the collection, monitoring and analysis of data; highlights that development and investment in innovative selective and low-impact fishing technologies, as well as the deployment of those technologies, is critical to achieve true and effective ecosystem-based and more sustainable management of fisheries;

10. Highlights the need to take into account the three pillars of sustainability, namely environmental, social, and economic, in the scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Those pillars are essential to better allocate fishing opportunities in support of livelihoods and income stability of the fishing communities, particularly those engaged in small-scale sustainable fisheries, as well as in sustainable harvesting and management of marine resources;

11. Points out the importance of providing financial support for the designation, implementation and effective management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), as well as of Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), if they bring positive long-term conservation benefits to marine ecosystems, in line with Union international commitments to protect 30 % of our ocean by 2030, especially for the just transition and the support of the incomes and livelihood of the affected fishers and aquaculture activities, as well as monitoring and management programmes by local and regional authorities, and in collaboration with fishers and civil society; recalls that the implementation of MPAs or OECMs must be guided by sound scientific criteria, including socio-economic assessment of their impacts; highlights in this regard the importance of co-management of these areas, which will ensure inclusive participation of all relevant stakeholders;

12. Stresses the need for providing financial support dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine biodiversity and the just transition to more low-impact fisheries and aquaculture; recognises that the implementation of some measures, like temporary closures of fishing grounds or gear restrictions, can have a significant economic impact on fishers and associated processing sectors; calls on the Commission to provide for swift and adequate compensation mechanisms to ensure that protection, restoration and conservation actions are also socially and economically sustainable, particularly for fishers on islands and outermost regions;

13.  Recalls that the EOP proposes marine protection measures on a case-by-case basis, reflecting the unique ecological, economic, and social characteristics of each sea basin or marine region, including with respect to strict protection targets;

14. Stresses the importance of giving special and particular support for the small-scale and artisanal fishing fleet; reaffirms that such actions could consist of improving safety, working conditions, energy efficiency, access to fishing opportunities, environmental sustainability, and Union competitiveness, including vessel modernisation or renewal where appropriate and under specific conditions, with an adequate regime for fishing effort while preventing overcapacity and overfishing - in order to encourage generational renewal of the sector; stresses the importance of ensuring that fishing fleets, including the small-scale fleet, have sufficient financial support in situations of permanent and temporary cessation in order to implement adjustments to fishing capacity or reduction of fishing opportunities;

15. Reiterates that small-scale fishing represents an essential cultural, social and economic heritage for many European coastal communities; underlines that adequate attention should be given to low-impact, small-scale fishers in the allocation of financial support, and Member States should define transparent criteria when distributing such support; calls, therefore, for EMFAF to reserve dedicated and accessible resources to support small-scale fishing, improving safety on board, training, and compensation in case of temporary or permanent cessation, in order to preserve this sector and encourage generational renewal;

16. Highlights that the transition to more sustainable fishing practices requires significant investment by fishers, especially those from small-scale fleets and island regions; therefore calls for dedicated funds to support fishers for the modernisation and renewal of the fleet, as well as the acquisition of selective gear, waste reduction systems, and low-emission fishing equipment;

17. Stresses that climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and the increased presence of new alien predatory species, have negative consequences on marine ecosystems and the fishing sector, which requires financial support also considering resources other than EMFAF such as new own resources;

18. Considering the increasing frequency of adverse weather events that severely affect fleets and fishing infrastructures, particularly in island regions, calls for strong mitigation measures in all policy areas against climate change, and further stresses the need to secure emergency funding dedicated to the management of climate and environmental crises, which can provide rapid and flexible support to fishers and aquaculture producers in case of material damage or reduction of fishing activity;

19. Stresses the importance of ensuring specific and sufficient funding for measures to prevent, control and eradicate invasive alien species, which severely impact the viability of fisheries and aquaculture activities, marine and coastal ecosystems, and native biodiversity; calls for actions to prevent their introduction and the necessary compensation to fishers and aquaculture producers who have been affected by invasive species, ensuring that those whose livelihoods are threatened by the disruption of local ecosystems receive the necessary support to mitigate losses and maintain their operations;

20. Emphasises the importance of utilising the temporary economic value of invasive species during control and eradication actions of these species;

21. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to decisively improve and promote the development of sustainable EU aquaculture production, addressing the bottlenecks and constraints identified, as well as to reduce the dependence of imports of aquaculture products from third countries; stresses that with an appropriate use of EMFAF funds it is possible to diversify and increase sustainable EU aquaculture production, by supporting and promoting regenerative low-trophic aquaculture, and other activities which are supplementary to fisheries, such as pescatourism; highlights the importance in this regard of supporting gender equality policies in order to further stimulate and support generational renewal, giving priority to the criteria of economic viability and professional engagement;

22. Calls on the Commission to consider options to boost aquaculture in Europe, including the possibility of a specified funding and policy - Common Aquaculture Policy - in order to establish a clear framework, objectives and environmental, economic and social safeguards for the effective and sustainably development of EU aquaculture;

23. Calls on the Commission to continue the campaign “EU Aquaculture. We work for you with passion” in 2026, considering that the current 3-month period is not enough to show Union citizens the benefits of this activity; notes that it is necessary  to sustainably increase EU production and reduce our dependency on food imports from unsustainable production, while boosting local production and economies;

24. Reiterates its call for adequate funding to support the implementation of the new Fisheries Control Regulation[37], including support for remote electronic monitoring systems for the fleet, AI-based species identification systems, traceability systems from source to fork and the increased responsibilities of the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA); further calls for transparent reporting by Member States on enforcement actions and compliance data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2023/2842, in order to promote a level playing field and continue to enforce the Union’s zero tolerance policy against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing;

25. Supports the reinforcement of the international dimension of the CFP with adequate resources for ocean governance, international cooperation and ocean diplomacy, including stakeholder engagement in third countries ensuring fair competition for all parties; emphasises the importance of continuing the Union’s zero tolerance approach with strong actions against IUU fishing, led by the example and work for achieving global sustainable fisheries, ensuring compliance by all countries of shared rules, promoting a level playing field, particularly through a sea-basin approach, and the application of effective enforcement methods; calls equally for the provision of financial support for the implementation of the United Nations Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement);

26. Stresses that the Mediterranean Sea, in particular in the areas surrounding Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece and Cyprus, are particularly exposed to IUU fishing activities of third parties, which severely damages the local environment with direct negative impact on fishing activities; calls for the strengthening of controls and international cooperation, through EFCA; calls on EFCA and the Member States to monitor all fleets whose activities can pose a direct risk to ecosystems, food security and the sustainability of the fisheries sector and the environment, in particular third country fleets operating in waters adjacent to Union waters;

27. Calls for the necessary targeted funding for improvement of research, development and deployment of low-emission propulsion systems adapted to all different fleet segments, including vessels above 24 metres in length, and various gear types to reduce emissions and dependency on fossil fuels, including the necessary infrastructure adaptations in Union ports;

28. Stresses that adequately funded training, in particular for young and new fishers, and a skilled, diverse workforce are key for achieving generational renewal, including gender equality; stresses the need to support young fishers on the basis of merit, vocation and technical capacity criteria; reiterates the need to attract younger generations, ensuring the continuity of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors;

29. Stresses the urgency of policies aiming at generational renewal in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, with technical, entrepreneurial and safety training programmes funded from the Union budget; also calls for a specific commitment to facilitate the entry of young fishers, particularly on islands and in remote areas, with start-up incentives and support for innovative sustainable fisheries and aquaculture projects;

30. Reiterates the need for dedicated financial development support to coastal and small islands communities, and outermost regions; urges the Commission to promote fleet modernisation and renewal, in particular in the outermost regions, in line with the Treaties; reiterates the need to properly fund and compensate for additional costs for fishery and aquaculture products in outermost regions and peripheral areas in line with the Treaties; in this regard, asks the Commission to evaluate the possibility to re-establish an autonomous programme to compensate for additional costs in outermost regions, like the previous programme known as POSEI Fisheries;

31. Strongly emphasises the specificity of island and outermost regions, where insularity entails significantly higher production and logistics costs, with direct repercussions on the competitiveness of local fishers; therefore calls on the Commission to provide for increased, simplified and dedicated funding lines for these areas in the EMFAF and the Union budget, to support, among others, fleet renewal and modernisation, incentivising sustainable and low environmental impact technologies, and to compensate for higher energy, maintenance and insurance costs;

32. Considering the increasing economic difficulties linked to rising energy and raw material costs and global competition, calls on the Commission to consider further measures for fishers to support the transition to sustainable low emission fuels, technological innovations and fleet modernisation, as well as facilitate access to credit, while fully respecting environmental sustainability and international agreements;

33. Highlights that port infrastructures on islands and in the outermost regions are often inadequate or obsolete, limiting the operational capacity and competitiveness of local fisheries; calls on the Commission to support the modernisation and, where necessary, expansion of port infrastructures, with a particular focus on storage, landing services and areas for the maintenance and refuelling of vessels, also favouring access to digital technologies and traceability systems;

34. Emphasises the need to adopt an integrated approach for the socio-economic development of fishing communities on islands and in the outermost regions, including not only direct support to fisheries but also the promotion of sustainable tourism related to pescatourism, vocational training, and local cooperation initiatives between fishers, public and private entities, accompanied by appropriate Union funding;

35. Reiterates the importance of incentivising the renewal of the fishing fleet with modern, more energy-efficient and less environmentally damaging fishing activities; therefore calls for more non-repayable grants and credit facilities for fishers, with priority given to fleets in island regions and to small operators, so that they can swiftly adapt to the environmental regulations without compromising their economic sustainability, with the use of more energy-efficient engines and fishing techniques with less environmental impact;

36. Stresses that fishers in island and outermost regions often face complex and uneven administrative procedures, which limits access to funding and slows down activities; calls, therefore, for simplification and harmonisation of administrative procedures across the Union, with actions at national and regional level, including in the outermost regions, with dedicated one-stop shops, and for greater technical support for small-scale fishing enterprises;

37. Calls for measures that eliminate administrative and financial barriers faced by small-scale fisheries producer organisations, ensuring equitable recognition, support, and eligibility across the Union.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[38], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	4.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	20 1 5
Members present for the final vote	Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Asger Christensen, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Ton Diepeveen, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Siegbert Frank Droese, Nora Junco García, Isabelle Le Callennec, Isabella Lövin, Giuseppe Lupo, Ana Miranda Paz, Jessica Polfjärd, André Rodrigues, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
Substitutes present for the final vote	Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Sofie Eriksson, Sebastian Everding, Marco Falcone, Luke Ming Flanagan, Gabriel Mato, Eric Sargiacomo, Kristoffer Storm
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	François-Xavier Bellamy, Rachel Blom, Tiago Moreira de Sá

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

20	+
ECR	Nora Junco García, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Kristoffer Storm
PPE	François-Xavier Bellamy, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Marco Falcone, Isabelle Le Callennec, Gabriel Mato, Jessica Polfjärd
Renew	Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Asger Christensen, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin
S&D	Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Sofie Eriksson, Giuseppe Lupo, André Rodrigues, Eric Sargiacomo
The Left	Luke Ming Flanagan
Verts/ALE	Ana Miranda Paz

 

1	-
The Left	Sebastian Everding

 

5	0
ESN	Siegbert Frank Droese
PfE	Rachel Blom, Ton Diepeveen, Tiago Moreira de Sá
Verts/ALE	Isabella Lövin

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

27	+
PPE	Bartosz Arłukowicz, Laurent Castillo, Michalis Hadjipantela, Adam Jarubas, András Tivadar Kulja, Peter Liese, Oliver Schenk, Tomislav Sokol, Liesbet Sommen, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Dimitris Tsiodras
PfE	Viktória Ferenc, Tomáš Kubín
Renew	Dan Barna, Stine Bosse, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová
S&D	Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Christophe Clergeau, Alessandra Moretti, Victor Negrescu, Nikos Papandreou, Marta Temido, Kristian Vigenin
The Left	Sebastian Everding
Verts/ALE	Martin Häusling, Tilly Metz, Nicolae Ștefănuță

 

4	-
ESN	Christine Anderson
PfE	Gerald Hauser, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión
Renew	Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu

 

1	0
PfE	Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

 

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION (24.9.2025)

for the Committee on Budgets

on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 – all sections

(2025/0210(BUD))

Rapporteur for opinion: Hélder Sousa Silva

 

 

OPINION

The Committee on Culture and Education calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

1. Strongly opposes the Council’s substantial cuts in Erasmus+ and Creative Europe in its reading of the 2026 draft budget, amounting to EUR 257.73 million and EUR 26.4 million respectively; underlines that reducing support for those flagship programmes of the Union at the end of the current multiannual financial framework, when all programmes are at cruising speed, is short-sighted and reflects a lack of vison on the Council side; emphasises that the funding for those successful programmes, which consistently contribute to the priorities of long-term competitiveness, employability and resilience, directly benefits citizens, including learners and young people, and that the proposed cuts translate directly into fewer opportunities for them;

2. Points out that according to the financial programming, Erasmus+ will benefit from an additional amount of EUR 255 million in recoveries in 2026 and that the cuts the Council proposes to the draft budget amount to EUR 257 million; deplores the fact that that represents a de facto reduction of the overall financial envelope allocated to the programme over the 2021–2027 period, despite its extremely high absorption capacity and popularity; urges in particular to ensure stability to initiatives such as the European Universities alliances and the Erasmus+ Teacher Academies and safeguard upcoming initiatives such as European Schools Alliances as well as support the implementation of the European Education Area;

3. Warns that the Council’s proposed cuts to the first strand of Erasmus+ would lead to a decrease as compared to 2025 and translate into fewer opportunities for learning mobility; points out that Erasmus+ learning mobility has consistently grown throughout the programming period and suffers from oversubscription, demonstrating its success and need for further support, for example to meet the doubling in the number of applications for Erasmus+ school accreditations[39]; therefore, proposes to increase appropriations by EUR 42 million for that strand of the programme, and EUR 15 million for the relevant strands related to youth and sports;

4. Stresses that a EUR 3 million cut in the sports sector would have a significant impact, given its already limited funding; highlights that that support is essential to reinforce the growing role of Erasmus+ in promoting physical activity, health, and local engagement;

5. Underlines that the European Solidarity Corps programme should be reinforced to allow more young people to engage in volunteering and solidarity activities, and to foster its role in responding to crises, including the war in Ukraine; is convinced that a moderate increase of EUR 3 million, which represents 4,17 % increase as compared to 2025, is justified, considering the persistent oversubscription of the programme and the impact of inflation;

6. Recalls that Creative Europe is the Union’s only programme dedicated to the cultural, creative and audiovisual sectors, as well as news media, and proposes an appropriate increase above draft budget of EUR 20 million; points out that Creative Europe delivers strong results and full budget implementation, and is oversubscribed across all strands; underlines its key contribution to economic recovery, social cohesion, European identity, media literacy and pluralism, societal resilience, and to the fight against disinformation;

7. Stresses that the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme protects and promotes Union values, citizens' engagement and participation in the democratic life of the Union and raises awareness of the common European history;

8. Recognises the role of pilot projects and preparatory actions as important tools used by Members of the European Parliament to test and develop new policies and initiatives; supports therefore all pilot projects and preparatory actions within the remit of Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education that received grades A and B in the pre-assessment procedure.

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[40], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Date adopted	24.9.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	24 3 0
Members present for the final vote	Nikolaos Anadiotis, Zsuzsanna Borvendég, Laurence Farreng, Gabriela Firea, Sunčana Glavak, Esteban González Pons, Catherine Griset, Hannes Heide, Lara Magoni, Eleonora Meleti, Nikos Pappas, Hristo Petrov, Giusi Princi, Sabrina Repp, Diana Riba i Giner, Nela Riehl, Manuela Ripa, Sandro Ruotolo, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Marco Squarta, Zoltán Tarr, Eugen Tomac, Ivaylo Valchev, Annamária Vicsek, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, Milan Zver
Substitutes present for the final vote	Maria Guzenina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

24	+
ECR	Lara Magoni, Marco Squarta, Ivaylo Valchev
NI	Nikolaos Anadiotis
PPE	Sunčana Glavak, Esteban González Pons, Eleonora Meleti, Giusi Princi, Manuela Ripa, Zoltán Tarr, Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski, Milan Zver
Renew	Laurence Farreng, Hristo Petrov, Eugen Tomac
S&D	Gabriela Firea, Maria Guzenina, Hannes Heide, Sabrina Repp, Sandro Ruotolo, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus
The Left	Nikos Pappas
Verts/ALE	Diana Riba i Giner, Nela Riehl

 

3	-
ESN	Zsuzsanna Borvendég
PfE	Catherine Griset, Annamária Vicsek

 

0	0

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

 

 

 

LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS (10.9.2025)

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

Subject: Opinion on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections (2025/0210(BUD))

 

Dear Mr Van Overtveldt,

 

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Foreign Affairs has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. At its meeting of 24 June 2025, the committee's Coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter. The committee considered the matter at its meeting of 4 September 2025 and adopted the opinion at that meeting[41].

 

I would be most grateful if you would incorporate the attached AFET opinion appropriately into your motion for a resolution.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

 

David McAllister

SUGGESTIONS

 

The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas the EU budget represents a critical instrument for strengthening the European Union’s global role and advancing its foreign policy objectives;

B. whereas the international landscape grows increasingly complex, marked by geopolitical tensions, strategic competition and global challenges;

C. whereas the rise of unprecedented challenges in the immediate European neighbourhood increases the demands on the Union to act with a budget fit for that purpose;

D. whereas the cuts in global foreign assistance from the United States and other countries cannot be entirely compensated by the European Union within the framework set by the multiannual financial framework (MFF), but offers an opportunity for the EU to play a stronger global role;

1. Welcomes the fact that the MFF revision in 2024 provided for additional funding under Heading 6 and for the EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility; deplores, however, the fact that the MFF revision fell short of the needs identified by Parliament and that as a consequence various budget lines under Heading 6 see considerable decreases in the draft budget as compared to the budget 2025;

2. Underlines in particular the need to increase the financing of the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhoods, given their proximity and geostrategic importance; believes that the budget nomenclature should include a specific budget line for the new Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova in order to increase the transparency of the budget and improve parliamentary oversight;

3. Notes with serious concern the current situation in the Middle East and calls for increased financial resources, especially for all UN humanitarian agencies given their vital role in delivering humanitarian aid and essential services; furthermore, calls for a maximum of flexibility in supporting the region in 2026, given that the volatile situation on the ground makes normal financial programming very difficult;

4. Calls for increasing the EU’s financial support to strengthening humanitarian and economic assistance in Syria, with support programmes addressing infrastructure reconstruction, accountability mechanisms, reinforcing the space for civil society and social stability in the country;

5. Calls to develop an EU Facility for the reconstruction of Gaza, that involves international and regional stakeholders in its financing and implementation, in order to contribute to the development of a long-term stability and security in the region;

6. Highlights the need to increase funding for human rights and democracy actions under NDICI given the discontinuation of USAID funds supporting such actions and therefore increases the budget lines for election observation missions and fundamental rights and freedoms;

7. Highlights the need to strengthen funding for civil society organisations and human rights defenders as well as women’s rights organisations, particularly those involved in conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts;

8. Considers that, in order to foster economic security in a moment of rapid technological advancements and geopolitical competition, the EU needs to allocate the necessary resources to enhance its digital diplomacy;

9. Calls for increased funding for the EU Election Observation Missions (EOMs) in EU candidate countries and for reinforcing EOMs’ IT instruments;

10. Underlines that important needs going beyond what can be achieved in the 2026 annual budget procedure have to be addressed urgently in the framework of the upcoming negotiations on the next MFF such as addressing the reconstruction of Gaza and Syria and addressing Africa’s infrastructure financing gap;

11. Notes with concern the financial situation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) which has been structurally underfunded for years, and is deeply concerned by the serious negative consequences for the EU’s external action; notes that the requirements for an institution with 145 diplomatic missions and offices around the world is fundamentally different to institutions operating at a single location and should therefore not be treated like the other institutions regarding its administrative budget; increases therefore the EEAS budget for 2026; believes that in the next MFF the EEAS must also have a substantially higher budget in order to ensure an impactful presence around the world.

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[42], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

 

 

 

LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE ON SECURITY AND DEFENCE (10.9.2025)

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections (2025/0210(BUD))

 

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Security and Defence has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. On 8 July 2025, SEDE Coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter, which SEDE adopted at its meeting of 8 September 2025[43].

 

 

OPINION

The Committee on Security and Defence calls on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following into its motion for a resolution:

A. whereas the draft budget for 2026 is presented under extremely tight margins and leaves no room for substantive new initiatives under the ordinary annual budgetary procedure;

B. whereas the current geopolitical context, marked by Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, the escalating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and, following military conflict, ongoing tensions in the Middle East - including between Israel, Iran and Syria - and growing instability in the Union’s neighbourhood as well as the worrying policies of China, demands enhanced strategic responsibility by the Union, including in the area of its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in full complementarity  with the commitments of the Member States within NATO and with the avoidance of unnecessary duplication of structures and competences;

C. whereas Member States, in particular those located on the Union’s eastern flank, have for years consistently increased their defence expenditure and strengthened their deterrence capabilities, providing substantial support from the very outset of the conflict in Ukraine, including military equipment, financial assistance and humanitarian aid;

D. whereas the European Council of 26–27 June 2025 reaffirmed the Union’s strategic objective to reinforce its defence capabilities and to increase joint investment; whereas it stressed the need to substantially increase national and collective defence spending, recalling the 5% defence expenditure commitment agreed by Member States participating in NATO at the June 2025 Summit;

E. whereas the Council also emphasised the urgency of strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), promoting demand aggregation, joint procurement, standardisation and the functioning of a fully integrated European defence market;

F. whereas, in continuation of the ReArm Europe Plan, the recently adopted agreement on the mid-term review of cohesion policy, as well as to the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), introduces new priority areas — notably defence and security — in the use of the remaining 2026–2027 flexibility reserve of cohesion programmes;

G. whereas this demonstrates a broad political consensus on the need to align all EU financial instruments, including shared management funds, with evolving geopolitical and security priorities;

H. whereas hybrid threats, especially cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure, public administrations, companies and defence systems, as well as Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) against democratic processes, represent a growing structural risk to the Union’s security; whereas cyber preparedness is a fundamental element of strategic deterrence and resilience; whereas despite its central importance cybersecurity remains insufficiently mainstreamed across the Union’s main security and defence budgetary instruments;

I. whereas the development and deployment of emerging, disruptive and dual-use technologies — such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, quantum computing and space-based capabilities — will be decisive in securing the Union’s strategic autonomy in defence and security; whereas the European Parliament Resolution of 12 March 2025 on the White Paper on the Future of European Defence underlines the need to strengthen the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB) through ambitious and sustained investment in strategic and innovative capabilities;

J. whereas the European Defence Fund (EDF) is the Union’s main instrument to foster structured cooperation in defence-related research and industrial development, directly contributing to the competitiveness, resilience and innovation of the European defence technological and industrial base (EDTIB); whereas, according to the Interim Evaluation of the European Defence Fund (COM(2025) 299 final), the EDF has generated significant structural effects by supporting the development of critical capabilities, increasing SME participation and reducing fragmentation, while challenges remain regarding co-financing, the continuity between R&D and procurement, and the strategic planning at European level;

K. whereas, in light of global crises and growing geopolitical challenges, the Union must possess first-hand strategic information on developments beyond its borders; whereas the European intelligence system remains heavily dependent on national capabilities and willingness to share information of the Member States and allied countries, which underscores the urgent need to reinforce mechanisms for joint coordination and analysis; whereas the 2022 Strategic Compass for Security and Defence highlights the importance of intelligence for strategic autonomy and calls for strengthening the role of EU INTCEN (EU Intelligence and Situation Centre) and SIAC (Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity) as the intelligence hub to enhance common situational awareness by integrating data from multiple sources;

L. whereas the Union’s Preparedness Strategy and the Niinistö Report identify the urgent need to strengthen crisis preparedness through an integrated approach combining civilian and military resources, public-private cooperation, and joint operational protocols; whereas such capabilities are essential to ensure the Union’s functionality under hybrid threats, technological disruptions or external aggression; whereas defence budgets must be complemented by investments in critical infrastructure, resilient logistics and integrated response capabilities;

M. whereas the Union’s civilian CSDP has recently expanded with the establishment of new missions, which are underfunded and understaffed, and are at risk of not meeting operational demands;

N. whereas the draft budget for Heading 7 (European Public Administration) is based on a “stable staffing” principle and a maximum increase of 2% in non-salary expenditure; whereas such constraints do not take into account the political commitments of Member States to expand CSDP planning structures and missions, thereby undermines the operational effectiveness of the European External Action Service (EEAS);

O. whereas the EEAS Statement of Estimates for 2026 requests an increase in personnel to accommodate 14 additional contract agents for the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), approved by the Political and Security Committee (PSC);

P. whereas the Union must adopt a defence-readiness mindset, and urgently scale up efforts to re-establish its defence preparedness and deterrence capability by 2030, taking into account long-standing underinvestment and a cumulative defence investment gap among Member States;

Q. whereas strengthening the European Union of Defence requires financing that is not only ambitious, but also fair, efficient and shared among Member States;

1. Welcomes the recognition of defence and security as strategic Union priorities, as reflected in the conclusions of the European Council and the move to allow targeted defence and security-related investments under shared management; reiterates its long-standing call to fund all CSDP expenditure from the Union budget except for operations having military or defence implications; stresses, furthermore, that this must not lead to the merging of security with other policy areas, such as the Common Agricultural Policy or cohesion policy;

2. Notes, however, that the draft budget 2026 does not provide any significant reinforcement of Heading 5 (Security and Defence), despite the increased operational tempo and political ambition of the Union;

3. Welcomes the Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/3116 of 9 December 2024 on the European Security and Defence College and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2020/1515; notes with satisfaction that this responds to a decade-long request by the European Parliament; reiterates its multiple calls to fund all security and defence related structures of the European Union from the EU budget and calls on the VP/HR and the Commission to make joint proposals to that end;

4. Stresses the fundamental importance of the “Eastern Shield” project as a strategic undertaking aimed at strengthening Europe’s security, notes its inclusion in the White Paper on Defence Readiness, and calls for the allocation of adequate financial resources to ensure its implementation;

5. Calls for the extension of funding opportunities from European funds, including through the Integrated Border Management Fund, to support the engineering preparation of border areas in countries threatened by hybrid activities and conventional armed aggression by third countries, particularly in Member States located in the eastern part of the European Union;

6. Notes with concern that the budgetary allocations for Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions under the CFSP instrument also fall short of current strategic demands and operational realities; stresses the need to reinforce the civilian CSDP budget line to reflect the creation of new civilian missions and ensure their sustainability, promoting rule of law, protecting human rights, and strengthening police and criminal justice cooperation especially in Ukraine, Moldova, Kosovo, the Middle East, Libya, the Sahel, etc, strengthen their interaction with relevant other EU and Member States instruments in the framework of the EU Integrated Approach, planning capacity, ensure proper staffing which requires closer coordination with Member States JHA actors and capabilities for rapid deployment; promote in budget procedures closer cooperation between Civilian CSDP missions and EU JHA including EU JHA agencies (FRONTEX, Europol, Eurojust, CEPOL);

7. Underlines that the current ceiling under Heading 7 is incompatible with the needs of an adequately staffed EEAS and calls for its adjustment in line with the EEAS Statement of Estimates; calls in particular for the recruitment of 14 additional contract agents for the MPCC, in accordance with the PSC-endorsed business case and the growing requirements for operational EU-level defence planning; underlines the persistent need for the procurement of secure Communication and Information Systems (CIS) for the effective control of all CSDP Missions;

8. Reiterates that military mobility is essential to the Union’s defence preparedness and the protection of its citizens in light of internal/external security nexus and constitutes one of the key areas of cooperation with NATO; underlines the growing relevance of this programme in light of the shifting security environment, the increasing need for cross-border troop and law enforcement movements, and the strategic importance of rail infrastructure for dual-use transport; takes note of the Council`s intended readjustment of appropriations in Heading 5 increasing the spending on military mobility; regrets however the low level of adjustment in view of the current challenges in the countries at the Eastern border; recalls that Heading 5 does not provide sufficient margin to cover the full scale of such investments and calls, therefore, for a minimum of 10% reinforcement of the military mobility envelope through the available margin under Heading 5, and, where necessary, by mobilising the Flexibility Instrument, in accordance with Article 12 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 on the Multiannual Financial Framework; underlines that such use of the Flexibility Instrument is justified by the geopolitical emergency and the need to support urgent and unforeseen expenditure in the field of common defence and security;

9. Reiterates its call to fund Rapid Deployment Capacity and the related exercises and deployments from the Union budget except for operations having military or defence implications; calls on the VP/HR and the Commission to make joint proposals to those ends;

10. Stresses that cybersecurity must be treated as a transversal, coherent and coordinated priority within the Union’s security and defence policy; therefore calls for increased financial support through the instruments most directly linked to cybersecurity, including the European Defence Fund (EDF), Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe Programme, the Connecting Europe Facility, and the external action instruments supporting cyber-resilience abroad; underlines the need to invest specifically in the research and development of enabling strategic technologies for cybersecurity, such as quantum cryptography; calls, in this context, for increased funding to strengthen and expand the operational, analytical and technological capacities of the Union’s relevant bodies in this domain, including the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen);

11. Calls for the Union’s 2026 budget to strengthen support for the research, development and validation of cutting-edge technologies in the field of defence and security, with particular emphasis on high-impact domains such as artificial intelligence, advanced automation, quantum computing and autonomous platforms; highlights the role of the European Defence Fund (EDF) as the primary instrument for fostering technological innovation in defence, in synergy with Horizon Europe, the Digital Europe Programme, and cooperative projects among Member States promoted by the Commission; recalls that these technologies must be developed in line with international law and the Union’s fundamental values, ensuring their ethical and responsible use within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP);

12. Stresses the increased strategic relevance of the European Defence Fund (EDF) in light of the Union’s rearmament objective and growing defence capability needs; notes with concern that a number of high-quality defence cooperation projects, positively evaluated under previous EDF calls, could not be financed due to budgetary constraints; calls, therefore, for a reinforcement of the EDF envelope for 2026 within realistic budgetary limits to address this gap, with a focus on supporting the development of key technologies for cybersecurity and to strengthen the Union’s own intelligence and strategic analysis capacities, notably in the framework of the EU Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity (SIAC) and the EU Intelligence and Situation Centre (INTCEN), as well as the EU Satellite Centre (SatCen); underlines that this increase should be financed, to the extent possible, through the available margin under Heading 5 and, where necessary, by mobilising the Flexibility Instrument, in accordance with Article 12 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 on the Multiannual Financial Framework;

13. Stresses the need to consolidate and enhance the impact of the European Defence Fund, by addressing the shortcomings identified in the interim evaluation report 2025; calls for better co-financing mechanisms through the complementary use of instruments such as InvestEU and EIB resources; underlines the importance of better linking  the Fund’s research, development and procurement phases, by creating stronger synergies with the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) and the joint procurement instrument; supports the  creation of a multiannual planning framework for the EDF, aligned with the  Capability Development Plan and the Strategic Compass, developed in close cooperation with the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the EEAS;

14. Takes note of the Commission’s Defence Omnibus proposal, which introduces key simplifications to the management of the EDF, including streamlined award criteria, the use of multi-annual work programmes, simplified rules for direct awards and pre-commercial procurement, and broader scope for indirect management; underlines that, in the context of limited available resources under Heading 5, the well prepared implementation of these changes is essential to ensure maximum impact and agility of defence-related expenditure;

15. Welcomes the forthcoming adoption of the EDIP and insists that, once its legal basis is in force, a dedicated portion of its envelope should be allocated to the Fund to Accelerate Defence Supply Chains Transformation (FAST); underlines the strategic role of SMEs and mid-caps in the industrialisation of defence technologies and the production of essential defence components, and urges reinforced support for them within this framework; considering the overall need to properly fund EDIP, calls for the Flexibility Instrument to be mobilised in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 to finance the proposed reinforcement of EDIP’s pillars including the FAST envelope;

16. Recalls the adoption of SAFE as part of the ReArm EU Plan, providing Member States with up to EUR 150 billion in loans backed by the Union budget to finance joint investments in defence capabilities; underlines that, although off-budget, SAFE constitutes a key pillar of the Union’s defence preparedness; regrets, however, that the European Parliament was not involved as co-legislator in its adoption - given its policy and budgetary implications as well as its strategic relevance - and  expects the legal base to be corrected; calls for coherence and complementarity between SAFE-supported investments and budgetary instruments such as EDIP, notably to support demand aggregation, joint procurement and industrial scaling across Member States; insists that the Commission acts in full transparency and provides the European Parliament with detailed information on National Defence Industrial Plans in order to assess progress in achieving the objectives of demand aggregation and joint procurement;

 

17. Regrets that, under the 2026 draft budget, Heading 5 offers no real margin for reinforcement, despite the Union’s increasing strategic responsibilities; welcomes, in this context, the initial proposal to substantially increase defence-related appropriations proposed under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which represents a significant rise compared to current levels; stresses, however, that this future increase must translate into coordinated Union-level action, with funding channelled through programmes that support joint procurement, demand aggregation, and the development of a truly European Defence Technological and Industrial base;

 

18. Calls on the Commission and the Council to move towards a truly European financial architecture for defence, based on solidarity and economic rationality; stresses the need to introduce shared financing mechanisms that avoid fragmentation, reinforce spending efficiency and promote cohesion among Member States; considers it a priority to mobilise common resources, facilitates the use of instruments such as InvestEU, and improves alignment with MFF and cohesion policy objectives; recalls that a credible European Union of Defence requires not only political will, but also stable, common and interest-driven financing aligned with the general European interest.

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

 

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[44], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE ON BUDGETARY CONTROL (26.08.2025)

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections(2025/0210(BUD))

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Budgetary Control has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. At its meeting of 26 June 2025, the committee decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter.

The EP Reform 2024 emphasised, inter alia, that the budgetary and discharge procedures are linked, and that results of the discharge procedure should naturally feed back into the budgetary procedure, and vice-versa. In that context, the CONT Committee considers that the resolutions of the discharge procedure for 2023, adopted in Plenary in May 2025, contain a number of observations and recommendations that the discharge authority wishes to suggest to the budgetary authority.

The Committee on Budgetary Control considered the matter at its meeting of 4 September 2025. At that meeting, it decided to call on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution.

This opinion should be read in conjunction with the Budgetary Amendments tabled by the Committee on Budgetary Control.

 

Yours sincerely,

Niclas Herbst 

 

Chair of the CONT Committee

Rapporteur for the Opinion

 

 

 

 

SUGGESTIONS

1. Underlines that the Union’s financial interests are to be protected in accordance with the general principles embedded in the Union Treaties, in particular the values in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and with the principle of sound financial management enshrined in Article 317 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (the Financial Regulation);

2. Emphasises the major importance of the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism for the protection of the Union budget; calls on the Commission to make full use of the tools available to address the clear risk of a serious breach of Union values and to promptly invoke the Conditionality Regulation when breaches of the Rule of Law risk impacting the Union's financial interests; supports the blocking of Union funds as long as the conditions are not entirely fulfilled and not giving in to blackmail; urges the Commission to guarantee a holistic approach across different funds and legislative instruments, emphasizing that Union funds must not be allocated to activities undermining democracy or reinforcing authoritarianism;

3. Recalls the importance to make the use of IT tools such as EDES and ARACHNE mandatory and systematic for all Union funds, including shared management, and ensure better use of new technology in order to increase controls and protect the Union budget against fraud and misuse of funds; welcomes that the recast of the Financial Regulation that all Member States will have an obligation to provide the Commission with access to data on beneficiaries from EU Funds, to be fed into ARACHNE by automated means; notes that the development of ARACHNE+ is in progress and on track to meet the obligations laid down in the Financial Regulation; considers it of utmost importance that the development continues unimpeded and stresses that the Commission should make sufficient budget available to make sure that neither the development nor the technical assistance needed for its implementation are at risk;

4. Considers that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is an indispensable part of the EU anti-fraud architecture; considers it imperative to ensure that the EPPO has the resources necessary to carry out its mandate, especially when regular oversight over the implementation of EU Funds is under pressure of being reduced; notes the amount assigned to the EPPO in the 2026 draft budget of EUR 91.545.128 in commitment and payment appropriations while the Council's position on the draft budget 2026 reduced this with EUR 5.886.284 to EUR 85.658.844; further notes the EPPO’s estimate that compared to the 2026 draft budget an additional EUR 6,1 million is needed to cover its staffing needs; considers that such an increase in the EPPOs budget is justified, as reflected in budgetary amendment X;

5.  Considers that the activities of the EPPO do in itself not only contribute to the protection of the EU’s financial interests, but also have the potential to recover amounts of the EU budget that were not used for its intended purpose due to criminal activities; considers that amounts resulting from seizing and confiscating measures adopted by the European Delegated Prosecutors in the Member States could, after deduction of costs incurred by the Member States’ authorities to implement these measures, flow back into the EU Budget, in line with Article 38 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939; recalls in that regard the recommendations made by the Discharge Authority in its resolution on discharge to the EPPO and its 2025 resolution on the protection of the EU financial interests - combatting fraud; considers that the potential revenue resulting from seizing and confiscating measures should be accounted for in the EU Budget as non-assigned revenue, under a separate budget line as created by budgetary amendment XX; calls on the Commission to make the necessary arrangements with the relevant national authorities to allow these amounts to enter into the EU Budget;

 

 

 

LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY, RESEARCH AND ENERGY (4.9.2025)

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion in the form of a letter on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections (2025/0210(BUD))

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. At its coordinators meeting of 13 May 2025, the committee decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter.

The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy considered the matter at its meeting of 4 September 2025. At that meeting, it decided to call on the Committee on Budgets, as the committee responsible, to incorporate the following suggestions into its motion for a resolution.

Yours sincerely,

Borys Budka

Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUGGESTIONS

1. Recalls the ITRE committee opinion on the guidelines for the 2026 Budget, which requested that the Union Budget for 2026 should concretely reflect the political priorities of the new legislative term, in particular fostering competitive industries and quality jobs, and underlined the need for greater investment and policy coordination at European level, as well as more concrete action by Member States to tackle the multiple and interlinked challenges that Europe faces today;

2. Notes that such challenges include dealing with the dire consequences of the ongoing Russian  war of aggression against Ukraine, alongside hybrid attacks on Member States and their energy and digital infrastructure; the need to strengthen Europe’s economic competitiveness and industrial base, requiring much higher levels of targeted and well justified public and private investment, as recommended by the Draghi report on EU competitiveness; the necessity to improve Europe’s research and innovation capabilities, and greater support for European SMEs, SMCs, start-up and scale ups; the digital revolution, including the accelerated development of AI, the need to improve cybersecurity, and the roll-out of next generation digital networks; the need to achieve a just climate transition along the agreed pathway towards climate neutrality by 2050 and an improved functioning and a deeper integration of energy markets, through modernisation of infrastructure, enhanced transmission and distribution  grids and  interconnections, better integration of renewables, improved system flexibilities and broadening of clean energy supply, while reducing EU dependence on fossil fuels and improving energy efficiency; considers these as urgent measures needed to lower Europe’s very high electricity and gas prices, thereby allowing Europe’s more energy-intensive industries to remain competitive, whilst also tackling energy poverty and limiting the damaging effects on European consumers, already struggling with a high cost of living;

3. Strongly rejects the approach taken by the Council in its position (9 July 2025) on the Commission’s draft budget, particularly the focus on cutting funds for strategic EU programmes under Heading 1 (Single Market, Innovation, Digital) ); deplores especially the proposed -211.25 million euro cuts in commitments to Horizon Europe, -86.1 million cuts to the CEF-Digital programme, -19.4 million cuts to the Digital Europe Programme and -8.4 million cuts to the European Space Programme; calls as a minimum to restore the Commission’s draft budget proposal on all these lines and to increase where appropriate;

4. Supports much greater funding for the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for Energy and for Digital, which the Commission’s draft budget proposed to increase respectively by 86.3 million Euros (+9.4% in commitments) and 96.2 million Euros (+43.7% in commitments); this is consistent with the repeated requests from the ITRE committee to raise levels of financing for these strategic EU programmes, which currently have very limited funding and therefore can only impact modestly on the modernisation and interconnection of Europe’s energy and digital infrastructure; consequently, firmly opposes the proposed Council cuts to CEF-Digital; calls for a further increase above the draft budget of 151 million Euros in commitments for CEF-Energy; considers that sufficient funding for CEF is imperative given the potential expansion of its scope under the ReArmEU Omnibus proposal to incentivise defence spending; recalls the European Parliament resolution of 7 May 2025 on A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world (2024/2051(INI)) and underlines its call, in line with the Draghi Report on EU competitiveness, for much greater, directly managed funding for energy and digital infrastructure; strongly regrets that the Council position further cuts the Digital Europe Programme by 19.4 million Euros in commitments for 2026, on top of 97.6 million Euros in cuts (compared to 2025) already foreseen in the Commission’s draft budget; notes that these reductions are coupled with enhanced flexibility for Member States to transfer resources from cohesion programmes (ERDF, CF, ESF+) towards the Digital Europe programme; concludes that the level of such transfers remains uncertain and likely to vary across Member States; asks therefore, to restore the draft budget for DEP, with targeted increases for funding for skills and semiconductors;

5. Strongly rejects the cuts proposed by the Council to Horizon Europe (-211.25 million Euros) and the Euratom Research and Training Programme (-3.76 million Euros), as compared to the Commission’s draft budget; particularly condemns the cut of 90 million Euros to the Cluster “Climate, Energy and Mobility”, which supports the twin green and digital transitions and transformation of our economy, industry and society, and the 20 million Euro cut to the budget of the European Research Council, in light of the Choose Europe for Science Initiative, which will put pressure on the ERC budget in 2026; reminds that the current level of funding for Horizon Europe remains wholly inadequate to effectively contribute to the collective target of 3% EU GDP spent on research and innovation, as agreed in the conclusions of the April 2024 Special European Council; calls therefore for an increased budget for the Programme, in particular for Clusters 2 and 5; insists that much greater investment in research and innovation is necessary for Europe to develop technological leadership, especially in those sectors most impacted by the green and digital transitions, facilitate the scale-up and commercialisation of research results, and to ensure that Europe remains an attractive and competitive destination for research careers; notes that the Commission’s draft budget proposed to restore the EU contribution to the ITER-F4E Joint Undertaking for 2026 to the levels initially foreseen in the financial programming (+365.9 million Euros; +75% compared to 2025), but that the Council position proposes to limit this increase to only +213.3 million Euros;

6. Regrets that the Council position cuts 8.4 million Euros from the European Space Programme (-5 million from Copernicus; -3.4 million from GOVSATCOM SSA); reminds that this comes on top of reduced funding for Galileo/EGNOS (-43.1 million) ) and support expenditure in the Commission’s draft budget; considers that especially in light of the new European Space Act and amidst growing geopolitical competition in this policy area, the European Space Programme should receive higher levels of funding;

7. Welcomes that the Council position retains funding levels for defence under Heading 5, in line with the Commission draft budget proposal, and that the Commission’s draft budget 2026 envisages a commitment of +621.3 million Euros for the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP); regrets that this has been entirely redeployed from the European Defence Fund (EDF) and therefore does not constitute entirely new EU funds; reiterates, in this context, its long-standing position that new political priorities require fresh money;  calls for an increase of 6,5 million euros to the EDF defence research budget line; notes the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) regulation will provide loans that are ultimately guaranteed by the EU budget, but do not involve any new financial commitments; welcomes the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030, which would allow existing EU funds to be used to support defence industries, including via  STEP to cover defence-related technologies and products; considers that a long-term funding strategy and stable investment is needed for supporting the EU’s defence industrial readiness and defence research and collaboration, and securing dual-use infrastructure commensurate in size with the challenges faced by the Union; stresses the need to create a more open competition and competitive defence market within the EU, especially for European based companies, with opportunities for European SME’s and midcaps;

8. Calls on the European Commission and the Council to provide adequate funding and staff for all Union agencies and bodies in the policy areas of industry, research, space, energy and cybersecurity; invites the Commission to thoroughly consider new regulatory obligations and consequent increased workloads in its distribution of resources and staff across its services;  notes that repeated use of flexibility instruments to maintain staffing costs is neither sustainable nor desirable in the longer run, because it reduces the scope for the EU to respond to unexpected emergencies;

9. Insists that NextGenerationEU repayments should not lead to the reduction of future EU investments in industrial competiveness which supports quality jobs, research, space, digitisation and clean, secure and affordable energy for businesses and citizens; opposes the use of research decommitments for interest payments under the EURI; calls for Member States to reach swift agreement on additional and genuine ‘Own Resources’ as part of the overall agreement on the next MFF, which would make the annual EU budget less reliant on contributions from Member States and in a much better position to start repaying the common borrowing agreed for NextGenerationEU;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[45], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

 

 

 

 

LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND TOURISM (16.7.2025)

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on the General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026- all sections (2025/0210(BUD))

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Transport and Tourism has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. On 24 June 2025, TRAN Coordinators decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter, which TRAN adopted at its meeting of 16 July 2025[46].

The committee wishes to reiterate that the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) policy serves as a key strategic instrument in building the EU’s cross-border transport infrastructure, pointing out that the Connecting Europe Facility for Transport (CEF-T) continues supporting this vital network to enhance mobility, competitiveness, market integration, economic growth and jobs, cohesion, safety, security and decarbonisation.

 

With this in mind, the committee observes that the drop in CEF-T payment appropriations for 2026 reflects the completion of the current funding cycle and that the final call, launched in 2024, signifies the full absorption of the CEF-T envelope with limited reflow calls to be expected. This demonstrates that, despite the programme’s effectiveness and success, evidenced by its high oversubscription, a higher and sustained transport funding is undeniably needed. This is crucial for securing adequate investment in ongoing and planned TEN-T projects that focus on cross-border infrastructure with the highest added value for the EU, on the elimination of bottlenecks and missing links, including within Member States, and on the digitalisation of transport with the aim of enhancing efficiency, security as well as passenger and freight flow throughout Europe. This is also essential to support research, development of cutting-edge technologies and innovation in transport and energy infrastructure, including by stimulating the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure and improving digital connectivity. Additionally, the committee reiterates the importance of smaller-scale projects to improve cross-border connectivity in Europe. Lastly, the committee recalls that, in line with the Draghi report, the TEN-T will require EUR 845 billion in investment by 2040, including EUR 210 billion for cross-border links.

 

The committee notes with approval that a part of the Cohesion Fund (CF) allocation (EUR 11,2 billion in total, out of which EUR 1,7235 billion in 2026) will be implemented under CEF-T for transport projects offering high European added value. Furthermore, it welcomes the recent Commission proposal for the mid-term review of cohesion policy[47], which offers several flexibilities and financial incentives for Members States to re-programme their cohesion resources in line with the Union’s new priorities, including the development of dual-use infrastructure to support both civilian and military mobility in the EU. According to the proposal, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and CF resources dedicated to these priorities within the cohesion programmes will receive a one-off additional pre-financing of 30 % and a possibility to apply for up to 100 % Union co-financing. In addition, programmes redirecting at least 15 % of their funds to these new priorities will receive additional one-off pre-financing (4,5 %, or 9,5 % for regions bordering Russia, Belarus or Ukraine).

 

The committee acknowledges the proposed EUR 1,6 million increase in the contribution from CEF to the European Climate, Environment and Infrastructure Executive Agency (CINEA), which covers the transport and energy strands delegated to CINEA. While recognising the need for adequate resources to enable CINEA’s role in supporting sustainable, safe and smart transport services and infrastructure projects, the committee particularly regrets that this increase comes at the cost of a corresponding reduction in the respective CEF operational lines. The committee notes a similar pattern with the proposed EUR 0,1 million increase in the contribution from Military Mobility to CINEA, noting a corresponding reduction in operational expenditures.

 

The committee regrets that the support expenditure for CEF-T would increase by a potential 57 % over only five years, from EUR 8,361 million in the 2021 annual budget to EUR 13,056 million in the 2026 draft budget. In this regard, it strongly underlines that the primary goal of all EU infrastructure spending must be to maximise the financing of concrete physical infrastructure projects on the ground rather than expanding the administrative overhead. By the same token, the committee calls for the systematic reduction of EU regulatory burdens across all transport modes, decreasing complexity while safeguarding EU standards, in order to boost the EU’s competitiveness and to free up resources, including EU budgetary means, for increased investment in transport infrastructure. The committee underlines the strong need for prior impact assessments of all new legislative initiatives with respect to their budgetary implications, but also the regulatory or administrative burdens that the proposals would create or resolve.

 

The committee insists on the restoration of the military mobility budget to the originally proposed EUR 6,5 billion over seven years, reiterating that the drastic cut of 75 % to military mobility funding within the transport pillar considerably weakens this policy, which also aims to reduce our vulnerability to economic and wider geopolitical pressures. The committee recalls that, in response to Russia’s aggression, the EU, by late 2023, allocated the entire EUR 1,7 billion military mobility dual-use infrastructure budget as a political signal, creating a potential funding gap of over four years before the next budgetary period. It deplores the lack of additional EU funding under the current MFF for the development of dual-use TEN-T infrastructure, which is crucial to enable short-notice, large-scale transport of military equipment across the continent, especially given the unprecedented level of threats at the EU’s borders, while also benefiting civilian purposes and humanitarian aid. At the same time, it underscores the critical and urgent need for substantial investment in dual-use transport infrastructure, particularly along designated priority axes, a point also highlighted in the Parliament’s resolution on the general guidelines for the 2026 budget[48]. Therefore, the committee insists on additional funding, beyond the current CEF-T envelope, to address the most critical funding gaps for military mobility until a more long-term solution is found under the next MFF.

 

The committee emphasizes the importance of bolstering co-financing mechanisms, particularly for strategically important large-scale projects, such as the Clean Aviation, SESAR and Europe’s Rail Joint Undertakings, acknowledging the scarcity of public funding projected to them in 2026 and beyond. It insists on the leveraging of public-private partnerships (PPPs) to mobilise additional resources for these initiatives, which could be achieved by providing guarantees or implementing risk-sharing mechanisms, in order to attract private investments in transport and tourism infrastructure, and stresses that PPPs can also contribute to knowledge sharing, innovation, and support for SMEs and start-ups. Simultaneously, the committee stresses the need to reinforce the budgets of transport agencies, i.e. the EU Aviation Safety Agency, the European Maritime Safety Agency and the EU Agency for Railways, so that they can fulfil the additional tasks assigned to them by the co-legislators in recently adopted EU legislation, and in order to support critical safety, sustainability, interoperability, competitiveness, innovation and modernisation initiatives under the strategic priorities of the EU transport policies.

 

The committee recalls that, despite their success, the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes grapple with logistical challenges, including capacity constraints, bureaucratic delays and infrastructure limitations, and points out that rail networks, which are critical for large-scale exports, require modernization, which includes a vital step of integrating relevant lines of Ukraine’s rail system into the EU’s standard gauge to facilitate the uninterrupted movement of goods and services. In this context, it welcomes targeted investments under the Ukraine Facility (2024–2027), especially those aimed at upgrading rail connections and port facilities.

As a final point, the committee reiterates Parliament’s repeated request to create a specific EU programme and a dedicated budget line for tourism in the current MFF and beyond. This is necessary to implement the upcoming EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy addressing the sector’s needs, in order to increase its resistance to economic shocks, to build destination resilience against climate impacts, and to contribute to further growth and quality jobs across the value chain, bringing significant benefits and long-term well-being to local populations and their businesses. The committee highlights the need to reduce administrative burdens for SMEs operating in the tourism sector by simplifying rules, minimising data collection requirements, where appropriate, and providing tailored financial support. The committee notes that the tourism sector stands to benefit greatly from digital innovations, such as smart tourism platforms and integrated digital ticketing systems for attractions and services, which enhance visitor experiences while driving significant economic growth for local communities. Ultimately, the committee stresses that the further development of sustainable tourism, including through the promotion of regional products to strengthen local value chains or strategies for the management of tourist flows, could foster economic growth in less popular, more remote, and peripheral areas, improve urban-rural and island connectivity, and bolster climate resilience of European territories.

Yours sincerely,

Elissavet Vozemberg‑Vrionidi  Gheorghe Falcă

the Rapporteur

 

 

 

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[49], or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

LETTER OF THE COMMITTEE ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY (1.9.2025)

Mr Johan Van Overtveldt

Chair

Committee on Budgets

BRUSSELS

Subject: Opinion on the General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 – all sections (2025/0210(BUD))

Dear Mr Chair,

Under the procedure referred to above, the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality has been asked to submit an opinion to your committee. At its meeting of 26 June 2025, the committee decided to send the opinion in the form of a letter. It considered the matter at its meeting of 1 September 2025 and adopted the opinion at that meeting[50].

Yours sincerely,

Lina Gálvez

 

OPINION

A. Whereas gender equality is a core value of the Union enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union; whereas Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that ‘in all its activities, the Union shall aim to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality’ establishing the principle of gender mainstreaming;

1. Welcomes the application of gender equality mainstreaming in the budget[51] and reiterates that it should be applied as a cross-cutting principle; urges that monitoring of the application of gender equality mainstreaming must be effective and timely, leading to proactive corrective action, without creating undue administrative burden; highlights that gender equality mainstreaming should not be in conflict with competitiveness mainstreaming, as the budget work must work for all;

2. Acknowledges that gender budgeting was applied to all spending programmes in the annual budget in 2025: calls for the effective and systematic implementation of gender budgeting in 2026 to ensure that resources are distributed equitably and that spending supports gender equality:

3. Recognises the increase in funding for the vital Daphne Programme; underlines the importance of allocating at least 5% of the total budget to policies to combat violence against women, including victims of sexual exploitation and human trafficking, prevention and help for victims and survivors, including but not limited to the requirements of the Violence against Women Directive; applauds the Daphne Programme’s efficiency, which should serve as further reason for increased budget allocations as well as a template for sound financial use of the EU budget; recognises that this programme is a priority; recalls that one in three women in the Union has been affected by gender-based violence, at an estimated economic cost of EUR 290 billion per year; calls for special attention to women facing intersectional discrimination; underlines the need for DAPHNE to become an autonomous programme with a separate budget line;

4. Recalls the important role played by EIGE in understanding and addressing the extent and causes of gender inequality affecting women in all their diversity in the Union; notes the increase in funding for EIGE; nevertheless, stresses the need for an increase in staff, including at least 7 temporary agents, and funding commensurate to the increased tasks of EIGE included in recently adopted legislation and due to increased requests for technical assistance; underlines EIGE’s crucial role in providing valuable data, research and expertise on gender equality and women’s rights to the EU institutions and beyond; underlines that EIGE is an independent EU agency and as such must be properly funded; considers this to be a funding priority;

5. Highlights the ongoing backlash against gender equality and women’s rights and the importance of EU funding matching the EU’s values, including for supporting civil society organisations promoting women’s rights and gender equality, both within the EU and in its externals actions;

6. Calls for budgetary allocations under the EU4Health programme for research into gender specific conditions such as menopause, infertility issues, and endometriosis and fibroids, with an intersectional perspective, the provision of universal healthcare, along with the provision of cross-border services to ensure the provision of free, safe and legal abortion and other sexual and reproductive health services to women in all their diversity and LGBTI; stresses that women in the EU must enjoy equal access to goods and services, including medical care; stresses that SRHR are fundamental rights and a precondition of gender equality and must be placed at the heart of health policy;

7. Stresses the importance of using European Structural and Investment Funds such as the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) to promote gender equality;

8. Calls on the Commission to further develop and improve the collection of gender-disaggregated equality data, as paucity of data leads to poor decisions, evaluations and outcomes; stresses that the EU must ensure that budget should never undermine gender equality.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the Chair declares that she included in her opinion input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the opinion, from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register[52], or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:

1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register

European Institute of Gender Equality (EIGE)

2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies

The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the Chair

Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the Chair declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament's Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

 

 

 

JOINT STATEMENT ADOPTED AT THE BUDGETARY TRILOGUE OF 8 APRIL 2025

Dates for the budgetary procedure and modalities for the
functioning of the Conciliation Committee in 2025

A. In accordance with Part A of the annex to the interinstitutional agreement between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agree on the following key dates for the 2026 budgetary procedure:

The Commission will endeavour to present the Statement of Estimates 2026 by early June; A trilogue will be called on 17 July (in the morning), after the adoption of the Council's position by the Permanent Representatives Committee; The Council will endeavour to adopt its position and transmit it to the European Parliament at the end of week 37, in order to facilitate a timely agreement with the European Parliament; The European Parliament's Committee on Budgets will endeavour to vote on amendments to the Council's position by the end of week 41 (early October); A trilogue will be called on 14 October (in the morning), before the reading of the European Parliament; The European Parliament's Plenary will vote on its reading in week 43 (Plenary session of 20-23 October); The Conciliation period will start on 28 October. In agreement with the provisions of Article 314(4)(c) TFEU, the time available for conciliation will expire on 17 November 2025; The Conciliation Committee will meet on 4 November (in the morning), hosted by the European Parliament and on 14 November hosted by the Council (and may resume as appropriate); the sessions of the Conciliation Committee will be prepared by trilogue(s). A trilogue is scheduled on 4 November (in the morning). Additional trilogue(s) may be called during the 21-day conciliation period, including on 13 November hosted by the Council.

B. The modalities for the functioning of the Conciliation Committee are set out in Part E of the annex to the above-mentioned interinstitutional agreement.

 

INFORMATION ON ADOPTION IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Date adopted	13.10.2025
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	23 7 3
Members present for the final vote	Georgios Aftias, Tobiasz Bocheński, Tomasz Buczek, Olivier Chastel, Tamás Deutsch, Angéline Furet, Thomas Geisel, Jean-Marc Germain, Andrzej Halicki, Fabienne Keller, Giuseppe Lupo, Jana Nagyová, Fernando Navarrete Rojas, Karlo Ressler, Bogdan Rzońca, Julien Sanchez, Hélder Sousa Silva, Nicolae Ștefănuță, Nils Ušakovs, Lucia Yar, Auke Zijlstra
Substitutes present for the final vote	Mohammed Chahim, Niclas Herbst, Rasmus Nordqvist
Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote	Udo Bullmann, Daniel Freund, Tomasz Froelich, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Hana Jalloul Muro, Stefan Köhler, Javi López, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Tonino Picula

 

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

23	+
PPE	Georgios Aftias, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Andrzej Halicki, Niclas Herbst, Stefan Köhler, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Fernando Navarrete Rojas, Karlo Ressler, Hélder Sousa Silva
Renew	Olivier Chastel, Fabienne Keller, Lucia Yar
S&D	Udo Bullmann, Mohammed Chahim, Jean-Marc Germain, Hana Jalloul Muro, Javi López, Giuseppe Lupo, Tonino Picula, Nils Ušakovs
Verts/ALE	Daniel Freund, Rasmus Nordqvist, Nicolae Ștefănuță

 

7	-
ESN	Tomasz Froelich
NI	Thomas Geisel
PfE	Tomasz Buczek, Tamás Deutsch, Angéline Furet, Julien Sanchez, Auke Zijlstra

 

3	0
ECR	Tobiasz Bocheński, Bogdan Rzońca
PfE	Jana Nagyová

 

Key to symbols:

+ : in favour

- : against

0 : abstention

 

 

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• [15] Texts adopted, P10_TA(2025)0060.
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• [19] OJ C 242, 10.7.2018, p. 24.
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• [21] Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 of 15 December 2022 on measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary (OJ L 325, 20.12.2022, p. 94, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/2506/oj).
• [22] Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (‘the EPPO’) (OJ L 283, 31.10.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/1939/oj)
• [23] Regulation (EU) 2024/1359 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 addressing situations of crisis and force majeure in the field of migration and asylum and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147 (OJ L, 2024/1359, 22.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1359/oj).
• [24] Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA (OJ L 135, 24.5.2016, p. 53, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/794/oj).
• [25] Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (OJ L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/947/oj).
• [26] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [27] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [28] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [29] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [30] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [31] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [32] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the EuropeanUnion and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [33] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [34] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the EuropeanUnion and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [35]  Regulation (EU) 2021/2116 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 (OJ L 435, 6.12.2021, p. 187, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/2116/oj).
• [36] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the EuropeanUnion and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [37] Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 November 2023 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, and amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006 and (EC) No 1005/2008 and Regulations (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2017/2403 and (EU) 2019/473 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards fisheries control; OJ L, 2023/2842, 20.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2842/oj
• [38] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [39] Interim evaluation of the 2021-2027 Erasmus+ programme and final evaluation of the 2014-2020 Erasmus+ programme, SWD(2025) 186 final.
• [40] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [41] The following were present for the final vote: David McAllister (Chair), Hana Jalloul Muro (Vice-Chair), Ioan Rareş Bogdan (Vice-Chair), Michael Gahler (rapporteur for opinion), Mika Aaltola, Lucia Annunziata, Petras Auštrevičius, Laura Ballarín Cereza, Jordan Bardella, Dan Barna, Pernando Barrena Arza, Wouter Beke, Ľuboš Blaha, Helmut Brandstätter, Grzegorz Braun, Jaroslav Bžoch, Tobias Cremer, Danilo Della Valle, Elio Di Rupo, Loucas Fourlas, Geadis Geadi, Giorgos Georgiou, Christophe Gomart, Bernard Guetta, Kinga Gál, Rima Hassan, Dariusz Joński (Member under Rule 216(7)), Michał Kobosko, Łukasz Kohut, Rihards Kols, Ondřej Kolář, Sergey Lagodinsky, Nathalie Loiseau, Reinhold Lopatka, Antonio López Istúriz White, Vangelis Meimarakis, Sven Mikser, Francisco José Millán Mon, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Andrey Novakov (Member under Rule 216(7)), Leoluca Orlando, Kostas Papadakis, Tonino Picula, Jüri Ratas (Member under Rule 216(7)), Thijs Reuten, Nela Riehl, Marjan Šarec, Mounir Satouri, Paulius Saudargas (Member under Rule 216(7)), Andreas Schieder, Alexander Sell, Krzysztof Śmiszek (Member under Rule 216(7)), Davor Ivo Stier, Stanislav Stoyanov, Kai Tegethoff (Member under Rule 216(7)), Marta Temido, Cristian Terheş, Hermann Tertsch, Pierre Romain Thionnet, Sebastian Tynkkynen, António Tânger Corrêa, Roberto Vannacci, Hilde Vautmans, Harald Vilimsky, Thomas Waitz, Isabel Wiseler Lima, Nicola Zingaretti, Željana Zovko.
• [42] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [43] The following were present for the final vote: Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann (Chair and rapporteur for opinion), Mihai Tudose (2nd Vice-Chair), Michał Dworczyk (3rd Vice-Chair), Riho Terras (4th Vice-Chair), Lucia Annunziata, Petras Auštrevičius, Wouter Beke, Marc Botenga, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, Estelle Ceulemans, Tobias Cremer, Elio Di Rupo, Bart Groothuis, Niclas Herbst, Ondřej Krutílek, Marion Maréchal, Vangelis Meimarakis, Ana Catarina Mendes, Sven Mikser, Hans Neuhoff, Hannah Neumann, Andrey Novakov, Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, Reinis Pozņaks, Marjan Šarec, Mārtiņš Staķis, Michał Szczerba, Georgiana Teodorescu, Pierre‑Romain Thionnet, Matej Tonin, Pekka Toveri, Reinier Van Lanschot, Roberto Vannacci, Marta Wcisło, Lucia Yar.
• [44] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [45] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [46] The following were present for the final vote: Elissavet Vozemberg‑Vrionidi (Chair), Sophia Kircher (Vice-Chair), Elena Kountoura (Vice-Chair), Virginijus Sinkevičius (Vice-Chair), Daniel Attard, Adrian‑George Axinia, Tom Berendsen, Rachel Blom, Nina Carberry, Benoit Cassart, Vivien Costanzo, Johan Danielsson, Valérie Devaux, Markus Ferber, Jens Gieseke, Borja Giménez Larraz, Sérgio Gonçalves, Roman Haider, Mircea‑Gheorghe Hava, Sérgio Humberto, Dariusz Joński, François Kalfon, Merja Kyllönen, Julien Leonardelli, Milan Mazurek, Alexandra Mehnert, Ştefan Muşoiu, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Philippe Olivier, Arash Saeidi, Marjan Šarec, Andreas Schieder, Lena Schilling, Volker Schnurrbusch, Rosa Serrano Sierra, Stanislav Stoyanov, Kai Tegethoff, Kathleen Van Brempt, Ana Vasconcelos, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Kosma Złotowski.
• [47] Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 as regards specific measures to address strategic challenges in the context of the mid-term review (COM(2025) 123 final).
• [48] European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2025 on general guidelines for the preparation of the 2026 budget, Section III – Commission.
• [49] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).
• [50] The following were present for the final vote: Lina Gálvez (Chair), Irene Montero (Vice-Chair), Abir Al‑Sahlani, Mélissa Camara, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (for Valérie Devaux), Per Clausen (Member under rule 216(7)), Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Viktória Ferenc, Heléne Fritzon, Tomasz Froelich (Member under rule 216(7)), Alexandra Geese, Elisabeth Grossmann (for Maria Noichl), Fernand Kartheiser, Elena Kountoura, Judita Laššáková, Julien Leonardelli (Member under rule 216(7)), Eleonora Meleti, Elena Nevado del Campo (for Rosa Estaràs Ferragut), Mirosława Nykiel, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Emma Rafowicz, Sabrina Repp (for Gabriela Firea), Joanna Scheuring‑Wielgus, Benedetta Scuderi, Beatrice Timgren (for ECR Members), Maria Walsh, Lucia Yar.
• [51] p152 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/budget/data/DB/2025/en/SEC00.pdf
• [52] Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on a mandatory transparency register (OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_interinstit/2021/611/oj).