EU sets stage for battle over budget

Long-term funding plan under scrutiny

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The European Commission looks set to kickstart two years of tense negotiations as it was scheduled to unveil its proposal for the EU's long-term budget including funding reforms that risk renewed confrontation with farmers yesterday.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has to balance a growing list of priorities including bolstering the bloc’s security, ramping up Europe's competitiveness to keep up with US and Chinese companies, countering climate change and paying debts due from 2028.

And all of this against a backdrop of soaring trade tensions with the European Union's biggest commercial partner, the United States.

The previous 2021-2027 budget was worth around €1.2 trillion and made up from national contributions around one percent of the member states’ gross national income and money collected by the EU such as customs duties.