PES calls for an ambitious EU budget with meaningful allocation that delivers for people

The Party of European Socialists (PES) convened its Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) Working Group to advance the progressive family's priorities for the next long-term EU budget (2028-2034). The meeting was chaired by PES Vice President MEP Victor Negrescu.

Participants discussed the state of negotiations and exchanged views on the political priorities that should guide the next EU budget, stressing that the Multiannual Financial Framework must provide the resources needed for Europe to become more social, by investing in people, inclusion and cohesion; more sustainable, by investing in environmental protection, food security and a fair Common Agricultural Policy; more democratic, by investing in values, transparency and culture; more resilient and future-proof, by investing in sustainable competitiveness, preparedness, security and crisis response; and more engaged, by investing in a stronger Europe in the world

Discussions focused on ensuring a strong social dimension in the next MFF, including a Self Standing, strong European Social Fund, robust standalone cohesion policy, and greater investment in quality jobs, skills, affordable housing and sustainable competitiveness. Participants also underlined the importance of maintaining dedicated funding for climate action, environmental protection, and a fair, independent Common Agricultural Policy.

Victor Negrescu PES Vice President, and chair of the meeting said:

"The next EU budget must match our political ambitions and provide the resources needed to invest in people, reduce inequalities, and support a just, sustainable, and digital transition. An ambitious Multiannual Financial Framework is essential to ensure that no region, no community, and no citizen is left behind. It must also strengthen Europe's sustainable competitiveness, affordable energy, open strategic autonomy and resilience and security in an increasingly uncertain global context."

Luca Menesini, President of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions

During the meeting, participants highlighted several core progressive priorities for the next EU budget, including:

• A strong social dimension, with self-standing European Social Fund, a social investments and skills window in the ECF, via a ring-fenced Just Transition Fund and by prioritising EU funding for education, skills, and lifelong learning.
• A strong and standalone cohesion policy, based on multilevel governance, based approach, and genuine partnership with regional allocation of resources and with a specific focus for Eastern Europeregions.
• An independent and fair Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) supporting farmers, rural communities, and food security and funding for environmental protection with an autonomous LIFE programme
• Greater and better delineated EU investment in affordable and decent housing.
• Ambitious funding for sustainable competitiveness, including industrial decarbonisation, interconnectivity, renewables deployment, storage and electrification, increased funding for R&D and innovation capacity, particularly Horizon, and boosting security and defence.
• Stronger European open strategic autonomy, including via supporting strategic projects through innovative instruments for an enhanced EU budgetary financing capacity.

Participants also stressed that an ambitious EU budget requires adequate resources, including the introduction of new genuine own resources, to ensure the EU can finance its priorities and maintain investment in social cohesion, climate action, and Europe's resilience.

Online participants to the PES MFF Working Group

Participant's list:

Victor Negrescu - Chair of the PES MFF Working Group; PES Vice President; European Parliament Vice-President - PSD, Romania
Fernando Sampedro Marcos - Chair of the PES GAC; Secretary of State for the European Union - PSOE, Spain
Yonnec Polet - Deputy Secretary General - PES
Kata Tüttő - President of the European Committee of the Regions - Committee of the Regions
Sandra Gómez - MEP, Member of BUDG Committee, Own Resources Rapporteur - S&D / PSOE, Spain
Julia Lemke - Member, Cabinet of the Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition - European Commission
Catalin Gheran - Member, Cabinet of the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness - European Commission
Johanna Bernsel - Deputy Head of Cabinet, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport - European Commission
Ariane Fontenelle - Political Secretary in the European Parliament - PS, Belgium
Tsvetelina Penkova - MEP and International Secretary of the Bulgarian Socialist Party - BSP, Bulgaria
Sanja Bježančević - MP, Member European Affairs Committee - SDP, Croatia
Andreas Psaras - Secretary of EDEK's Financial Committee - EDEK, Cyprus
Ilona Sorri - International Secretary - SDP, Finland
Matthias Ecke - MEP, Member of BUDG Committee - SPD, Germany
Peter Heil - International Secretary - DK, Hungary
Nicolò Carboni - Responsible for relations with the PES, International Secretariat - PD, Italy
Franz Fayot - MP, Former Minister of Economy - LSAP, Luxembourg
Jamila Madeira - MP, International Secretary - PS, Portugal
Adrian Câciu - MP, Former Minister of Finance and Former Minister of Investments and European Projects - PSD, Romania
Piret Hartman - Secretary General, Former Minister for Regional Development - SDE, Estonia
Marcos Ros Sempere - MEP, S&D REGI Coordinator - PSOE, Spain
Luca Menesini - President of the PES Group in the CoR - PES CoR
Chiara Malagodi - Head of Cabinet of the CoR President - CoR
Antoine Mertzeisen - Political Advisor - CoR
Emmi Lintonnen - Vice-President - PES Women
George Tsoumas - Vice-President - YES
Romina Kuko - MP, International Secretary - PS, Albania
Ledjon Shahini - Executive Director of SP Albania Think Tank - PS, Albania Think Tank
Khelil Ezzaouia - Secretary General - Ettakatol, Tunisia
Hella Ben Youssef - Senior Advisor Public Policy, Innovate Local Governance and Gender Equality - Ettakatol, Tunisia
Anna Kolesnichenko - Policy Analyst on Economy - FEPS
Antonie Varoquié - Cabinet Member of the S&D Group President - S&D
Igor Hornak - Head of Unit, EU Budget and Cohesion Policy - S&D
Cristina Avani - Political Advisor BUDG - S&D
Corina Popa - Political Advisor - S&D
Louisa Bentley - Assistant - S&D
Arantxa Tarazona - APA to MEP Sandra Gómez - S&D
Alejandro Peinado García - APA to MEP Marcos Ros Sempere - S&D
Lilian Goncalves - APA to MEP Mohammed Chahim - S&D
Lyubv Bourilkova - APA to MEP Tsvetelina Penkova - S&D
Andrea Casamenti - Just Transition Policy Coordinator - SOLIDAR
Constantin Kourkoulas - Head of EU Policy Unit - PES
Giorgia Azzarelli - Policy Adviser on Economic and Financial Policy - PES