EU President proposes reducing the budget for 2028–2034 to 1,600 billion euros / Siegfried Mureșan’s reaction

The European Union’s long-term budget for the 2028–2034 period should be reduced by 8% compared with the European Commission’s proposal of 2,000 billion euros, the EU presidency, held by Ireland during this period, announced on Saturday. The proposal would bring the EU budget to approximately 1,600 billion euros and will be negotiated by the member states in the coming months.

The multiannual budget represents the main source of funding for the European Union’s major policies, including agriculture, cohesion, infrastructure, and regional development. The size and distribution of the funds will be determined following difficult negotiations between the 27 member states.

Discussions have been intense in recent months. Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden support limiting the size of the budget, while Romania advocates maintaining substantial allocations for Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.

On Friday, President Nicușor Dan coordinated Romania’s position in Bucharest ahead of the European Council meeting on October 15–16. Romania will also support funding for European defense, particularly on the Eastern Flank and in the Black Sea region, as well as investments in competitiveness, energy, and advanced technologies.

The reaction of Siegfried Mureșan, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator for the budget dossier