Politico reports possible cuts to proposed long-term EU budget
Ireland is preparing a compromise EU budget for 2028–2034. Politico, as cited by RBC, reports that member states expect a reduction of €100–200 billion from the previous proposal.
The report cites 12 EU diplomats. They said Ireland, which holds the Council presidency, planned to present its proposal on October 10. The parameters had not been publicly disclosed when the report was published, so the expected cuts are not an agreed decision.
Politico's sources expect Dublin to protect agricultural and regional spending. Reductions could affect external assistance through Global Europe and industrial support through the European Competitiveness Fund. The version under discussion allocates €200 billion and €410 billion respectively to those areas. Administrative spending of €118 billion is also being considered for reductions.
Negotiations reflect differing national priorities. Germany and its allies want lower overall spending, while a group including Italy, Spain and Poland seeks to preserve support for agriculture and poorer regions.
Another dispute concerns five revenue measures proposed by the European Commission, including the corporate CORE levy. The report's sources expect Ireland to retain them in its proposal, but potentially exempt small and medium-sized businesses from CORE.
The financial framework requires agreement from all 27 EU states. Expectations of a compromise do not mean that governments have already agreed on particular amounts.
