Key facts
- EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin warned 'frugal' member states against deep cuts to the bloc's proposed €2 trillion budget.
- Serafin stated that a reduced budget could undermine modernization and may not necessarily be cheaper for EU taxpayers.
- He argued that national spending instead of EU budget allocation could lead to duplication and inefficiencies.
- Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Austria are seeking to reduce the proposed spending for the 2028-2034 budget.
- A compromise text proposed a cut of €32.8 billion to the European Commission's initial proposal.
- The goal is to reach an agreement by the end of 2026.
European Commissioner for EU Budget Piotr Serafin has cautioned the so-called "frugal" member states against deep cuts to the bloc's proposed €2 trillion long-term budget for 2028-2034. Serafin argued that reducing spending could undermine modernization efforts and may not necessarily result in lower costs for EU taxpayers. He explained that strategic investments, if not funded by the EU budget, would fall to national budgets, potentially leading to duplication, inefficiencies, and missed economies of scale. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Austria are pushing for reduced spending, while a group of 16 countries known as the "friends of cohesion" advocate for increased funds for agriculture and regional development. A draft budget compromise text proposed a cut of €32.8 billion to the Commission's initial proposal, with negotiators aiming for an agreement by the end of 2026.