Negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union reached a provisional agreement on the 2027 EU budget on 12 November, setting total commitment appropriations at €199.7 billion and payment appropriations at €211.5 billion.
The agreement restores €1 billion in cuts previously proposed by the Council and includes an additional €300 million secured by Members of the European Parliament for a range of EU priorities. The compromise has not yet been formally approved by either the Council or the Parliament.
Parliament secures additional funding
The provisional deal restores Council reductions to commitment appropriations to the levels initially proposed by the European Commission.
In addition, Parliament successfully negotiated €300 million in extra funding beyond the Commission proposal, strengthening programmes including Horizon Europe, the Connecting Europe Facility for transport and energy networks, Erasmus+, civil protection, neighbourhood policy and humanitarian assistance.
Parliament also secured additional investment in the cybersecurity and security capabilities of EU institutions, including EU delegations abroad, aimed at protecting staff and ensuring secure communications.
Research, infrastructure, education and civil protection
To support European competitiveness, innovation and cross-border connectivity, negotiators agreed to increase funding for several flagship programmes.
Funding for Horizon Europe will increase by €21.5 million, while support for the Connecting Europe Facility's transport and energy networks will rise by €22.5 million.
The Erasmus+ programme will receive an additional €14 million.
Funding for the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund will increase by €7 million, while the LIFE programme, which supports environmental and climate action, will receive an extra €10 million.
To strengthen the European Union's ability to respond to emergencies, funding for the EU Civil Protection Mechanism will increase by €13.5 million.
Border management, neighbourhood policy and humanitarian aid
Negotiators also agreed additional funding measures linked to migration, border management and external action.
Funding for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument will increase by €30 million.
Support for military mobility will rise by €10 million.
Additional funding of €39 million was allocated to the EU's Southern Neighbourhood and Eastern Neighbourhood policies.
An additional €30 million was secured for humanitarian aid.
Ukraine support and NextGenerationEU repayments
Although Parliament and the Council did not activate the special instrument linked to the Ukraine support loan facility, both institutions committed in a joint statement that the mechanism could still be mobilised during 2027 in the event of unforeseen and exceptional circumstances.
The €4.9 billion cost overrun related to NextGenerationEU borrowing will continue to be managed through the previously agreed cascade financing mechanism, designed to handle borrowing costs while protecting core EU programmes.
Budget committee chair welcomes agreement
Johan Van Overtveldt, Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets, said the EU institutions must remain focused on delivering practical results for citizens as priorities continue to evolve.
He said EU funding plays a vital role in supporting security, defence, research, innovation and education while helping build a more resilient and competitive Europe, adding that further measures would still be required to strengthen the bloc's competitiveness and long-term prosperity.
Rapporteurs emphasise funding needs
The European Parliament's general rapporteur for the 2027 budget, Nils Ušakovs, said Parliament had secured significant additional resources for key EU programmes and citizens through a unified negotiating position.
He argued that the current long-term budget has lost around 10% of its purchasing power because of inflation since its adoption and said Parliament remains committed to ensuring that rising EU debt-repayment obligations do not undermine priority programmes.
Michalis Hadjipantela, rapporteur for the other sections of the budget, said Parliament had also secured additional funding for cybersecurity, physical security at EU delegations and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
He added that while EU institutions must continue improving efficiency, they also need sufficient capacity to carry out their responsibilities effectively.
Next steps
Once the Council formally approves the compromise, it will be discussed by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets on 19 November.
The agreement will subsequently be put to a vote during Parliament's November plenary session in Strasbourg before being signed by the Parliament's President.
Background
More than 93% of the EU budget is allocated directly to EU programmes.
The annual EU budget serves 27 member states and approximately 450 million Europeans and typically ranges between €160 billion and €200 billion per year during the 2021-2027 period.
According to the European Parliament and the European Commission, the EU budget represents slightly more than 1% of the bloc's gross national income. The institutions argue that it delivers significant economic, social and political benefits despite its relatively modest size.
