EU lawmakers struck a provisional agreement early Saturday on the bloc’s 2026 budget, securing hundreds of millions in additional funding for research,
infrastructure, civil protection and agriculture. The deal, reached before the end of the conciliation period, must still be formally endorsed by both the European Parliament and the Council.
Under the agreement, commitment appropriations for 2026 will total €192.8 billion, with €190.1 billion earmarked for payments. Negotiators restored €1.3 billion that EU governments had attempted to cut from the European Commission’s initial draft.
Parliament wins additional €372.7 million for key priorities
MEPs secured an extra €372.7 million for programmes tied to competitiveness, public health, security and defence. Full breakdowns will be published later, but several flagship areas received significant boosts.
Research, infrastructure and education
Funding for Horizon Europe, the EU’s main research programme, will rise by €20 million, while cross-border transport and energy networks will receive an extra €23.5 million. The Erasmus+ student mobility scheme gains a further €3 million.
Agriculture, health and environment
To reinforce climate and environmental action, the LIFE programme gets an additional €10 million, and the EU4Health initiative receives €3 million more. Support for the promotion of European agricultural products under the EU’s agricultural guarantee fund will rise by €105 million, enabled by higher-than-expected revenue and unused funds carried over from previous years.
Civil protection, defence and borders
In response to increasing natural disasters, Parliament added €10 million to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and RescEU. Another €10 million will strengthen military mobility, a crucial element of the EU’s defence preparedness. Border management capacity is also set to grow, with €10 million in additional funding.
Aid for neighbourhood regions amid rising global instability
Citing escalating geopolitical tensions, MEPs negotiated an extra €35 million for the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood, €25 million for the Eastern Neighbourhood, and €35 million more for humanitarian assistance.
Handling surging NextGenerationEU repayment costs
The EU is facing a sharp rise in borrowing costs for its post-pandemic recovery fund, with a **€4.2 billion** overrun expected in 2026—twice earlier projections. Parliament ensured these expenses will not undermine core programmes such as Erasmus+ or EU4Health, and reversed several cuts proposed by member states. Extra costs will be managed through the previously agreed “cascade mechanism,” designed to shield major programmes from volatility.
Reactions
Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, Belgium), chair of the Parliament’s Budget Committee, said the agreement reflects citizens’ core concerns: “prosperity, security and solidarity,” while warning that budget tools alone “will only get us so far” in boosting competitiveness.
General rapporteur Andrzej Halicki (EPP, Poland) highlighted broad political backing for strengthened security, research and agricultural support, calling the deal “an agreement on key priorities.”
Matjaž Nemec (S&D, Slovenia), rapporteur for the budget’s institutional sections, said the outcome “strengthens Europe’s capacity to act,” particularly on cybersecurity and democratic safeguards.
Next steps
Once the Council adopts the compromise, the agreement will go to the Parliament’s Budget Committee on 20 November. A plenary vote in Strasbourg will follow before the budget is formally signed into law.
Background
Over 93% of the EU budget goes directly into programmes across the 27 member states. Despite serving 450 million Europeans, the annual EU budget—averaging €160–200 billion during 2021–2027—is comparable to the national budget of Poland and roughly one-third the size of Germany’s.