Antonio Costa and Janez Janša meet to discuss EU budget

European Council President Antonio Costa is meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša in Brdo pri Kranju to discuss the European Union's long-term budget (MFF) for the 2028-2034 period. Negotiations are entering a decisive phase, focusing on the balance between total budget size, national contributions, and EU own resources.

Discussions are currently based on a Cypriot proposal that suggests an MFF of approximately 1,950 billion euros, which is several tens of billions lower than the European Commission's initial proposal. A group of six net contributors, including Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands, is seeking further cuts worth hundreds of billions. Conversely, a group of approximately 13 member states, including Slovenia, supports cohesion policies and opposes these reductions.

Costa emphasized that an agreement must be reached by the end of the year to prevent funding disruptions for EU projects in early 2028. In addition to the budget, the leaders are expected to discuss support for Ukraine, defense, EU enlargement, economic competitiveness, and migration.