The 2025 EU budget, negotiated by MEP Victor Negrescu on behalf of the European Parliament, has been adopted by the European legislature with a large majority, so that it can enter into force in time to finance the European Union’s pressing priorities.

Amounting to approximately €200 billion, the EU budget for 2025 is 6% higher than this year’s budget. In real terms, the increase amounts to €10 billion and ensures funding for essential programmes. It will allow the fulfillment of the Union’s political commitments while also providing the necessary financial resources to repay the European loan for post-pandemic economic recovery, without reducing funds allocated to key programmes.

“We found an ambitious agreement on the EU annual budget for 2025. With our plenary vote, we give the final go-ahead for the EU Budget to be signed into law,” stated European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu.

As the chief negotiator of the European legislature, Victor Negrescu emphasized that the negotiations on the Union’s budget were complex, referring to the 19 hours of negotiations required to reach the interinstitutional agreement.

“In times of institutional transition, societal turmoil and complex geopolitical realities in many regions of the world, public budgets are often the focal point of political conflicts. We see governments and coalitions stumble over their battles about spending priorities. But we kept our unity. By approving our EU budget for next year, we will send a forceful message to the citizens that the EU, despite the difficult political and economic context, is able to equip itself with the financial means necessary to implement its policies and respond to people’s needs”, declared the chief-negotiator in his intervention. 

The EU budget for next year includes additional allocations compared to the proposal from the Commission and member states:

• Blocked austerity measures, recovering €1.52 billion that the EU Council had proposed to cut.
• Additional funds to help citizens more easily repatriate their social rights and pensions back home, as well as to support mechanisms for social dialogue.
• €422 million extra for education and youth, increasing the Erasmus+ budget to a total of €4.3 billion.
• €45 million added for research, innovation, and health.
• €30 million increase in funds for agriculture, particularly for young farmers, along with recovering significant unused amounts from previous years, resulting in a record total of €39.9 billion for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund.
• €5 million extra for nature, biodiversity, and climate actions.
• €10 million increase in allocations for programs managing the EU’s external borders
• €6 million additional funding for military mobility.
• €50 million more allocated for humanitarian aid.

As Vice-President of the European Parliament responsible for combating corruption and transparency policies, Victor Negrescu advocated for and secured increased financial support for the activities of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and Europol.

“Within the tight margins of the financial framework, I am proud that we have shown that we can pay these costs without cutting flagship programmes and in the same time we managed to install a budgetary discipline”, declared the social democratic MEP.

As a result of the negotiations, next year’s budget includes €3 billion to support the recovery of regions affected by natural disasters, such as those in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania and Spain. Additionally, member states will have the option to use up to 10% of cohesion funds to prevent and rebuild affected areas.

This is the fifth annual budget under the multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021-2027.