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European Commission Unveils €1.816 Trillion Budget as Farmers Protest and Germany Pushes Back

Spending would rise to 1.26 percent of GNI with farm payments ringfenced at €300 billion; negotiations are now under way

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European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delivers her speech during a statement on the preparation for the EU–China Summit, Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP Photo/Pascal Bastien)
The EU has to balance a growing list of priorities in the budget including bolstering security, while avoiding a new fight with farmers

Overview

  • The European Commission has formally proposed a €1.816 trillion long-term budget for 2028–2034, its largest ever plan
  • Major funds include a €451 billion competitiveness pot for clean tech, digital and defence, a fivefold boost to €131 billion for defence and space, and €100 billion for Ukraine’s recovery
  • Direct payments under the Common Agricultural Policy are legally ringfenced at €300 billion, prompting hundreds of farmers to rally in Brussels
  • The plan introduces new revenue streams—taxes on companies with turnovers above €100 million, higher tobacco duties and an e-waste levy—to help cover post-Covid debt repayments
  • Germany’s government has declared the increase unacceptable and the proposal now enters at least two years of arduous negotiations with member states and the European Parliament