Sittings · Document
General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection · Rapporteur: Maria Grapini
The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection calls on the Committee on Budgets to incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution on the 2026 EU budget, focusing on competitiveness, single market resilience, digital transition, consumer protection, and enforcement.¶¶ It demands increased investment for security and defence, a Competitiveness Fund, support for innovation and start-ups, stronger enforcement of single market and consumer rules, digital public services, and more resources for AI Act, DMA, DSA, customs, and market surveillance.¶¶¶
Committee position. The committee proposes that the Committee on Budgets incorporate its suggestions into the motion for a resolution on the 2026 EU budget, focusing on competitiveness, resilience, and enforcement.¶
Key points
- Calls for the 2026 budget to enhance competitiveness, strengthen the single market, support digital and sustainable transition, protect consumers, remove unjustified barriers, and reduce administrative burdens.¶
- Calls for increased investment and coordination to address challenges like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, hybrid attacks, and foreign interference, ensuring resilience and strategic autonomy.¶
- Calls for prioritising investment in security and defence, reducing cross-border barriers, promoting standardisation and interoperability of defence equipment, and supporting European Defence Projects of Common Interest.¶
- Calls for a genuine Competitiveness Fund to enhance investment in key sectors, strengthen the single market, and ensure simplification and flexibility of funds.¶
- Calls for prioritising investment in innovation, making the single market more accessible for start-ups, and simplifying budgetary rules to encourage scaling up in Europe.¶
- Calls for increased resources for enforcing single market rules and consumer rights, including product safety, and building common capabilities like product-testing facilities.¶
- Calls for support to member states in digital transformation of the public sector, focusing on administrative procedures impacting businesses and consumers.¶
- Calls for sufficient funding and staffing for effective enforcement of the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act, addressing resource imbalance and protecting the digital public space.¶
- Calls for additional funding for the AI Act enforcement, providing staff to the European AI Office, and supporting AI research and development.¶
- Calls for the Single Market Programme to strengthen contracting authorities' capacity for strategic public procurement, facilitating SME access and reducing administrative burdens.¶
- Calls for resources to strengthen the customs union and market surveillance, enabling systematic checks on products and addressing the influx of non-compliant goods from non-EU e-commerce.¶
Who is affected
- European businesses, especially SMEs and start-ups, benefit from reduced administrative burdens and better access to single market opportunities.¶¶
- Member states bordering conflict areas receive attention for mitigating war effects and security risks.¶¶
- Consumers are protected through stronger enforcement of product safety and consumer rights, including online.¶
- Digital platforms and AI developers face stricter enforcement of DMA, DSA, and AI Act.¶¶
- Customs and market surveillance authorities get more resources and tools for checking imports.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 30% of European 'unicorn' companies seek funding and growth outside of Europe, as per the Draghi report.¶
Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text and ¶ links to the paragraph it rests on. Check the text itself before relying on it.