New MFF: a step forward but far from the finish line

With the presentation of the European Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Union enters a decisive phase for its future as a historic opportunity to secure a stronger, more autonomous, and more ambitious Europe capable of shaping global change.

Today's MFF proposal is a step forward but not the finish line. The era of underfunded European ambition must end to kick off a more substantial approach. Negotiations will be crucial and Renew Europe is at the forefront to defend an ambitious, future -proof budget, tailor-made for citizen’s needs.

MEP Valérie Hayer, President of Renew Europe, declares: “The MFF is the mother of all battles — it’s the condition sine qua non for a Europe that protects, supports and leads. Without the means, there will be no European power, no European prosperity, and no European sovereignty.”

RENEW EUROPE SECURES SUBSTANTIAL VICTORIES

A major breakthrough comes with the creation of a European Competitiveness Fund — the “Draghi Fund”, a key victory for Renew Europe. One year after the Draghi report, the Commission is finally delivering an ambitious response to Europe’s competitiveness challenge. The Fund will strengthen clean tech, industrial innovation, and defence capacities, with European preference at its heart.

This Fund is a direct result of Renew Europe’s relentless work. Our group has been pushing for a competitiveness strategy from day one — now we have the tools to act, invest and win the race for competitiveness. However, we will pay particular attention to its structure, to ensure that all our priorities are correctly funded.

Renew Europe welcomes the substantial funding for Ukraine. Valérie Hayer, President of Renew Europe, declares: “Substantial funding for Ukraine sends a clear message: Europe’s support is unwavering — for recovery, for resilience, and for Ukraine’s rightful path toward EU membership.”

Renew Europe has obtained substantial results on Rule of Law. The inclusion of “smart conditionality” will allow direct support to civil society, even in illiberal states. This is not just a budgetary tool — it is a moral and democratic line in the sand. Renew Europe has always defended the principle that EU money must reflect EU values. Our group has consistently pushed for the EU budget to become a tool of democratic accountability — not a blank cheque for autocrats or corrupt regimes. The introduction of a genuine horizontal rule of law conditionality is a direct result of Renew Europe’s political pressure and legislative leadership. European values are non-negotiable, and the EU budget must not fund autocrats or corruption. We fought for this, and we won.

MEP Lucia Yar, Renew Europe BUDG Coordinator, declares: “Europe is not a cash machine. The introduction of smart conditionality in the MFF is a democratic milestone. Our money must protect our values — not be abused by those who undermine them. The introduction of so-called smart conditionality in the new MFF is a crucial step in defending both EU values and taxpayers’ money. Citizens must know the EU stands with them, even when their national governments break the rules. This has been a core priority for Renew Europe from the very beginning. We equally welcome the fact that, for the first time, defence is clearly recognised as a priority in the EU budget. In today’s shifting geopolitical context, this is not only essential – it also opens new opportunities for regions to grow through investment in security and innovation."

BUT WE ARE NOT THERE YET

A clear red line: no to the ‘Single Plan’ and disguised re-nationalisation of the EU budget. Renew Europe strongly warns against the Commission’s proposal for a “Single Plan” approach. This concept risks fragmenting the EU budget into 27 national envelopes, undermining the very spirit of European integration. Instead of joint investments in common European priorities, we risk a return to national spending silos. This is particularly worrying for the cohesion and the CAP policy, which European dimension is threatened, and its financing diluted. The loss proposed in this MFF is substantial — and deeply regrettable. The upcoming negotiations will be crucial to correcting this imbalance and restoring a truly European vision for agriculture.

Valérie Hayer, President of Renew Europe, insists: "This so-called ‘Single Plan’ would be the end of EU shared project. It means 27 budgets, 27 logics, and 0 cross-border ambition. Prosperity in Europe depends on acting together, not falling back into national reflexes."

The MFF cannot be adopted in isolation from a meaningful agreement on the Union’s revenue side. New own resources are not optional — they are indispensable, to move away from the "fair return" logic that kills the European approach of the EU budget.

MEP Fabienne Keller, Renew Europe Shadow for MFF and own resources declares: "The new set of own resources is a victory for Renew Europe. The EU budget cannot only rely on direct contribution from member states, but being funded by stable and genuinely European streams of revenue. However, it's now up to Member states to follow suit and adopt them all. Some own resources proposed back in 2020 are still on table."

Renew Europe will only green-light a transformative, ambitious and a European budget that delivers tangible results for citizens and responds to their concrete needs. One that enables the Union to act decisively in a world marked by crisis, geopolitical threats, and economic competition.

Renew Europe concludes: as it stands, this budget falls short of the ambition needed to fully deliver on all Europe’s priorities.