The European Union plans to spend more on defense and border security next year, even though the overall budget will be slightly smaller.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and member states have reportedly agreed that a total of around €190 billion ($220 billion) could be allocated in the 2026 budget.
EU member states say that planned spending on security and defense will increase by just under €200 million, reaching €2.8 billion. Around €230 million more bringing the total to just over €5.0 billion will be allocated for migration and border management.
The agreement still needs to be officially confirmed by the EU member states and the European Parliament, but this is considered a formality.
The decision is based on a proposal from the European Commission, which presented a budget of €193.26 billion for next year. According to Brussels authorities, the funds will also be used to support Ukraine and improve Europe’s competitiveness.
Last year, the countries and Parliament agreed on a slightly larger total budget of just under €200 billion for 2025. Member states had argued that next year’s budget should be €186.24 billion, while the European Parliament pushed for €193.9 billion during negotiations.
The 2026 plan is the sixth under the so-called Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021–2027. The total budget of the bloc reaches around €1.1 trillion.
