17 EU States Call for Strong Protection of Cohesion, Agriculture and Fisheries Funding in Next EU Budget
Leaders from 17 European Union member states have called for the EU’s 2028–2034 budget to address emerging strategic challenges without undermining key policies enshrined in the Treaties, notably Cohesion Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
The meeting brought together the heads of state or government of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, and Hungary.
Organised by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Romanian President Nicușor Dan, the gathering aimed to strengthen political coordination ahead of negotiations on the European Union’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which will determine the bloc’s spending priorities for 2028–2034.
Participants stressed that while the EU must equip itself to respond to new strategic priorities, this should not come at the expense of traditional policies that support regional development, agriculture, and fisheries across member states. The organisers described the current phase of the budget talks as crucial in shaping both the structure and strategic direction of the future EU budget.
Photo: theJournal.mt
