Pressure rising on next EU budget

Heads of EU member states told to make swift progress on all-important budget negotiations

Leaders of national governments urgently need to agree their stance on the size and direction of the EU’s 2021-27 budget, politicians in Brussels and across Europe have warned. This overall budget will have a decisive impact on the size and scope of the EU’s next R&D programme.

In recent days, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions, a body of local politicians, have all piled pressure on national leaders to make progress at their upcoming European Council meeting on 17 and 18 October.