EU budget 2028-2034: The discussions that led to the European Commission's proposal

The European Commission's proposal for the next multiannual financial framework (2028-2034), presented on 16 July 2025 and allocating Horizon Europe a budget of €175 billion and Erasmus+ a budget of €40.8 Bn, will now be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The co-legislators will each adopt their position before entering into negotiations to reach a final agreement by 2028.

News Tank invites you to revisit this selection of articles on the major discussions that led to this eagerly awaited budget proposal.

End of 2024: Mid-term evaluation and concerns arising from the Competitiveness Fund project

In October 2024, the mid-term evaluation report on Horizon Europe, drafted by a group of experts led by Manuel Heitor, former Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, is published.

At the same time, the European Commission's DG Budget is proposing to merge the R&D framework programme with other instruments, such as the Defence Fund and Digital Europe, into a "Competitiveness Fund".

Very quickly, concerns were raised: would…