The Netherlands has repeated its call for hundreds of billions of euros to be cut from the EU’s next long-term budget for 2028 to 2034. Several government spokespersons confirmed the country’s position. An EU source said the Netherlands will not support a budget agreement before the end of the year. The source added that the country will only agree if those cuts are made.
The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that the Netherlands and five other countries had outlined their position in a joint letter. Reaching an agreement before the end of the year remains the objective of European Council President António Costa. He is due to visit Prime Minister Rob Jetten on 9 October, following similar meetings with other EU leaders in recent weeks to discuss the budget.
Ireland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, plans to present a revised negotiating framework for the budget in October. The Netherlands wants further cuts to the current budget proposal, worth almost €2 trillion. It also wants more funding for defence and innovation.
All member states needed
This proposed modernisation of the budget would reduce funding for agriculture and support for less-developed regions. Countries including Spain and Portugal strongly oppose those changes. Any agreement on the EU budget requires the approval of all member states.
In a letter sent two weeks ago, Jetten and his counterparts from Germany, Denmark, Austria and Finland also opposed joint EU borrowing. They further argued that EU institutions should not receive additional funding for staff.
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