On general guidelines for the preparation of the 2026 budget, Section III – Commission
BUDG-PR-766967
Committee on Budgets · Rapporteur: Andrzej Halicki
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This draft report sets Parliament's guidelines for the 2026 EU budget, focusing on economic resilience, security, and citizens' opportunities, and calls for adequate funding across key policy areas.¶¶¶ It stresses investment in research, SMEs, green and digital transitions, migration management, agriculture, energy security, disaster response, defence, health, youth, culture, and external action, while ensuring sound financial management and support for Ukraine.¶¶¶ It also addresses cross-cutting issues: managing EURI borrowing costs, accelerating cohesion policy implementation, funding outermost regions, and adequately resourcing EU bodies and agencies.¶¶¶
Committee position. The rapporteur proposes guidelines for the 2026 budget, emphasising investment in resilience, security, and citizens' priorities, and calls for adequate funding across all mentioned areas.¶¶
Key points
- Calls for the 2026 budget to boost economic resilience, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy, with investment in research, innovation, SMEs, health, energy, border protection, digital and green transitions, and youth opportunities.¶¶
- Demands sufficient funding for Horizon Europe to help companies, especially SMEs, bring innovations to market and strengthen EU competitiveness.¶
- Emphasizes targeted support for SMEs via InvestEU and the single market programme, and the importance of the single market programme for cross-border potential.¶
- Urges acceleration of green and digital transitions with investment in digital infrastructure, AI, and cybersecurity.¶
- Stresses effective implementation of the Asylum and Migration Pact, external border protection, and fighting migrant smuggling and instrumentalisation.¶
- Calls for adequate resources for the common agricultural policy to support farmers, young farmers, and agricultural research, and for support to fisheries and aquaculture, including fleet renewal.¶¶
- Highlights energy security, investment in low-carbon and renewable sources, energy efficiency, and cross-border interconnections.¶
- Calls for sufficient funding for the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU to respond to natural disasters.¶
- Underlines the need to enhance EU security and defence capabilities, including military mobility and the space programme.¶
- Insists on continued investment in EU4Health and Horizon Europe health cluster, and support for Europe's Beating Cancer Plan.¶
- Stresses investment in youth through Erasmus+ and in cultural and creative sectors, media literacy, and the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme.¶¶
- Calls for proper use of Union funds, respect for the rule of law, and sound financial management; supports Ukraine and pre-accession funds, and addresses EURI costs, cohesion implementation, outermost regions, and staffing of agencies.¶¶¶
Who is affected
- EU citizens, businesses, farmers, and young people benefit from proposed investments in resilience, security, and opportunities.¶¶¶
- SMEs and innovative companies gain from funding for research, InvestEU, and single market programme.¶¶
- Member states, especially frontline ones, receive support for agriculture, infrastructure, and military mobility.¶
- Ukraine and candidate countries benefit from continued funding and pre-accession support.¶¶
- EU bodies and decentralised agencies must be properly staffed and resourced.¶
Figures and deadlines
Legal basis: Article 314 TFEU¶