The European Parliament has adopted the European Union budget for 2026, which includes commitments of €192.77 billion and payments of €190.1 billion, including funds from special financial instruments. The document was supported by 419 MEPs, 185 voted “against” and 53 abstained. After its final approval, the budget will enter into force on 1 January 2026.
The financial framework for next year is 3.3% lower than the 2025 budget. €715.7 million has been set aside in a reserve for emergencies. During the budget negotiations, the European Parliament agreed an additional €372.7 million for key priority policies compared to the European Commission's initial proposal.
The main increases include:
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humanitarian aid – by €35 million;
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the science programme „Horizon Europe“ – by €20 million;
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border and visa management – by €10 million;
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the Civil Protection Mechanism – by €10 million;
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the LIFE programme – by €10 million;
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military mobility – by €10 million;
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by €10 million;
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EU4Health – by €3 million;
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„Erasmus+“ – by €3 million.
The Connecting Europe Facility receives an additional €23.5 million, of which €15 million are for energy projects and €8.5 million – for transport infrastructure. The „Global Europe“ instrument has been increased by €60 million – €35 million for the Southern Neighbourhood and €25 million for the Eastern Neighbourhood.
For 2026, the Flexibility Instrument will mobilise over €2.04 billion, mainly under the heading “Sustainability and Values”, as well as for expenditure on European administration, security, defence and economic and social policies.
The Chair of the Budgets Committee, Johan van Overtveld, stressed that the EU is working “in an environment of turmoil and rising expectations”. According to him, the budget alone is not enough to address all the challenges and additional measures are needed to increase competitiveness.
The lead rapporteur for the European Commission’s budget section, Andrzej Halicki, said that Parliament had managed to offset the cuts proposed by the Council and secure almost €400 million in new funds. "We have achieved a stable budget, geared towards a secure, resilient and stronger Europe," he said, noting the impact of the war in Ukraine, natural disasters and geopolitical pressures.
The rapporteur for the remaining sections, Matyaz Nemec, said that the budget reflects a Europe that invests in youth, science, the environment and solidarity, while strengthening the rule of law and delivering real benefits for citizens.
After the vote, European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola signed the budget in the presence of the two rapporteurs.
The budgetary procedure started on 9 July 2025 with the presentation of the draft budget by the European Commission. Following adjustments by the Council and Parliament and a compromise reached in the Conciliation Committee on 15 November, the final text was approved by the Council and finally adopted by the European Parliament today.
According to the European institutions, over 93% of the EU budget goes directly to the Member States in the form of programmes, projects and investments. By comparison, the annual EU budget is roughly the size of Poland's national budget and represents around 30% of Germany's budget.
The 2026 budget will finance the EU's activities in a context of continued international uncertainty and heightened expectations of the European institutions.