The Irish Presidency published its negotiating box for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034 on 10 October 2026. The draft provides for a total of around €1.6 trillion and is therefore around eight per cent, or approximately €140 billion, below the Commission’s original figure of €1.76 trillion. The proposal moves towards the positions of countries considered frugal, such as the Germany and Netherlands , which are pushing for lower spending.
Spain is among the countries warning against cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy and cohesion policy . On 2 October, 17 member states called in a joint letter to the Irish Presidency and the President of the European Council for agricultural and cohesion funding to be protected in the new framework. Spain is among the so-called Friends of Cohesion, which have made preserving regional and agricultural funding a priority.
According to several reports, the Irish proposal tends to protect the major traditional spending areas more, while signalling cuts chiefly elsewhere. This differs from the European Commission’s approach, which sets a higher budget to fund additional responsibilities in competitiveness, research, security and defence without significantly cutting the traditional budget headings. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has repeatedly warned against deep cuts and advanced the debate on new European Union own resources.
The Presidency’s negotiating box is intended to structure discussions among heads of state and government at the European Council on 15 and 16 October. As the multiannual financial framework requires unanimity, a protracted struggle over priorities, phasing and possible additional financing is considered likely. Considerable sums are at stake for Spain: cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy and cohesion policy would directly affect regions and agricultural businesses and could generate further domestic political pressure.
Only the starting point is certain: the Irish proposal sets out the parameters for an initial political assessment by the 27. Whether the final total comes closer to €1.6 trillion or the Commission’s figure remains open and depends on the willingness of the different camps to compromise. Forecasts of the outcome before the leaders’ talks conclude would be speculative.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).