Brussels – On Saturday, November 15, negotiators from the European Parliament (EP) and the EU Council reached an agreement on the EU budget for 2026, which was announced on Monday by Slovak MEP Lucia Yar (PS) for TASR. The agreement marks a significant boost in funding for essential sectors including healthcare, defense, research, and innovation.
Members of the EP advocated for an increase in the EU budget for 2026 by 372.7 million euros over the initial proposal from the European Commission, securing financing for initiatives such as the Horizon Europe program, transportation and energy infrastructure, civil protection, and agriculture.
Negotiators from the EU institutions settled on a total of 192.8 billion euros for committed budgetary resources and 190.1 billion euros for payment budgetary resources (actual payments). This agreement reinstates 1.3 billion euros that EU member states had sought to reduce from the European Commission’s proposed amounts.
Lucia Yar, who serves as vice-chair of the EP budget committee, participated in the negotiations on behalf of the Renew Europe (RE) group, where she oversees budgetary matters. “I am pleased that, alongside pro-European allies, we were able to secure an additional 267.3 million euros in the EU budget for 2026. This will greatly enhance funding for critical sectors like healthcare, defense, research, and innovation,” she stated.
She further highlighted the success of increased funding for programs like Erasmus+, Horizon, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, as well as for infrastructure, energy, and humanitarian assistance. “This achievement will positively impact people throughout the EU, including in Slovakia,” she noted.
The EP clarified in a media release that the additional funding will support initiatives and policies designed to enhance quality of life, boost competitiveness, and strengthen defense. MEPs secured a 20 million euro increase for the Horizon Europe program and a 23.5 million euro increase for transport and energy networks. The Erasmus+ program received an additional three million euros, while the LIFE program was allocated an extra 10 million euros, and the EU4Health program gained three million euros. In alignment with the EP’s priorities to create new opportunities for young farmers, funding for agricultural product support under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund increased by 105 million euros.
The Parliament also ensured an extra 10 million euros for the civil protection mechanism and RescEU to enhance disaster response coordination, alongside an additional 10 million euros for military mobility and border management. An extra 35 million euros was allocated for the EU’s southern neighborhood, while 25 million euros were designated for the eastern neighborhood. Moreover, the Parliament secured a 35 million euro increase in EU humanitarian aid. (November 17)
“This signifies a substantial increase in funding for vital sectors such as healthcare, defense, research, and innovation.” Lucia Yar
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