The European Commission is preparing for the next multiannual financial framework, the EU’s long-term budget, set to begin in 2028. The Commission aims to create a simpler, more focused, and responsive budget that aligns with European strategic priorities.
As the Union’s budget benefits all Europeans, it is crucial that they have the opportunity to express their views on its future. To facilitate this, the European Commission has launched a public consultation, inviting all interested parties to share their insights on the future EU budget and the policies it should support. Among the broad range of stakeholders, citizens and civil society actors now have a chance to participate in designing the next EU budget, which will have significant future implications for the Union.
The Commission’s consultation span various policy areas, including cohesion policy, agriculture, and home affairs, with the aim of creating a more effective and efficient budget that achieves key objectives. Accordingly, the consultation is divided into seven thematic clusters:
- Implementing EU Funds with Member States and regions
- EU funding for competitiveness
- EU funding for external action
- EU funding for cross-border education, training and solidarity, youth, media, culture, and creative sectors, values, and civil society
- EU funding for civil protection, preparedness, and response to crises
- EU funding for the single market, and cooperation between national authorities
- Performance of the EU budget
It is important to highlight that the „Implementing EU Funds with Member States and Regions” cluster also relates to EU macro-regional strategies (MRS). Proposals have already been elaborated by civil society actors from the four macro-regions, aiming to increase the involvement of civil society in shaping and implementing MRS. These proposals can now also be submitted within the framework of the consultation.
The public consultation and feedback period is now open and will remain so until 6 May 2025 (midnight Brussels time). Following the consultation period, a synopsis report will summarise the input received and explain how it has been considered. Feedback will be published on the Commission’s consultation site and must adhere to the feedback rules. As a next step, the Commission’s proposals for designing the EU budget are expected to be presented in 2025.
