Money matters under scrutiny, Newsletter

Key diary dates

• Monday 7 – Thursday 10 October: European Week of Regions and Cities.

• Monday 7 October: European Parliament committee to adopt position on EU 2025 budget.

• Thursday 10 October: the European Court of Auditors (ECA) will publish its annual report on the EU budget.

In spotlight

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) head to Strasbourg today for the first of two plenary sessions in October – with an important vote in the budget committee already scheduled for Monday evening.

MEPs will consider 978 amendments tabled to the Council’s position on the Commission’s draft budget for 2025 and decide on the Parliament’s position, which will be finally adopted in the next plenary session (21-24 October).

The Parliament will likely reject the Council’s proposed cuts of €1.52 billion to flagship EU projects such as the Horizon Europe research programme or the Erasmus+ mobility programme. 

“Prudent budgeting is one thing, but we also have to remember that the EU must invest in our economy, support young farmers and encourage innovation under the Horizon Europe programme,” MEP Andrzej Halicki (Poland/EPP) told Euronews before the vote. 

The leading MEP on the dossier, Victor Negrescu (Romania/Socialists & Democrats), labelled the Council’s proposal ‘unacceptable’ during a debate in the Parliament in September, claiming it contravened what the political groups agreed in March.

“Every year, the Council uses a similar justification for cutting programme envelopes or for curbing programmed reinforcements, even though the procedural and budgetary circumstances and the social, economic and geopolitical context have changed considerably,” Negrescu said.

The vote and discussion relate to the 2025 budget, but the next Commission will see talks on the next mammoth multi-annual financial framework launched, and these quibbles over the annual budgets will likely resurface then.

Staying with financial scrutiny, on Thursday, the Luxembourg-based European Court of Auditors will present its annual report on the bloc’s budget, highlighting the risks and challenges facing the EU’s finances. 

Policy newsmakers

Trading places

An EU veteran with an established relationship with Donald Trump, defence experts told Euronews that Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte was well-placed to tackle NATO’s challenges, as he replaced former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenbergas as secretary-general from last Tuesday. 

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