EU budget 2026: billions for security, science and future!

EU budget 2026: billions for security, science and future!

Österreich, Land - The EU Parliament decided on April 2, 2025 with 441 yes votes, 173 no votes and 70 abstentions the guidelines for the 2026 budget. The aim is to create a resistant Europe in times of global crises. This step was described by Vol.at as decisive for the future orientation of the EU.

The European budget draft relies on security, competitiveness and sustainability. The focus is on strengthening defense and security capacities, investments in research, digitization and the energy transition as well as the support of farmers and young people. Furthermore, the focus is on increasing the EU's resilience in the face of global tensions, whereby aspects such as cyber security and military infrastructure are important.

focus on economy and the environment

A special aspect of the budget is the focus on economic resilience and sustainable development. The EU plans to strengthen the internal market and to promote climate -friendly transformation. This requires investments in innovation, vocational training and industrial capacities. These changes are also intended to offer young people new perspectives by expanding health care, educational programs and cultural initiatives, as from Europarl.europa.eu

The comprehensive support of Ukraine remains a central concern. The EU has clearly communicated that it wants to support Kiev "unconditionally and unreservedly". This is done in the context of strategic expenses, whereby it is pointed out that repayments of construction bonds must not lead to cuts in existing EU programs.

Next steps in the budget process

The next steps stipulate that the EU Commission will be presenting a proposal for the budget in June 2025. Thereupon negotiations between parliament, commission and council will take place, which should be completed by the end of 2025. The exact amount of the budget has not yet been determined, but is expected as part of the long -term financial framework for 2021-2027

Special financing areas of the upcoming budget include defense, cyber security, economic resilience, climate protection, digitization, research, energy, health and the support of Ukraine. Austria could benefit from these investments in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, research and security, whereby the exact distribution depends on the final budget negotiations.

The meetings and decisions on the EU's expenditure and income are therefore crucial for the future of the Union and its stability. The 2026 budget is the penultimate within the ongoing financial framework and will play a strategically important role in ensuring the competitiveness of Europe and pursuing long -term goals.