European Union: Green light on the 2025 annual budget

The Council adopted the joint text on the general EU for 2025 today (25.11.2024). The joint text of the EU budget was agreed in negotiations with the European Parliament on 16 November 2024. Total commitments are set at EUR 192,768,6 billion and total payments at EUR 149,615,7 billion, with the exception of the appropriations provided for specific instruments outside the multiannual financial framework for the period 2021-2027 (PIC). EUR 800.5 million has been kept available this year under the expenditure ceilings of the current MFF, allowing the EU to react to unforeseen needs. “I am glad we agreed on the EU budget for 2025. The next year’s budget will allow us to focus on the priority areas of the EU while ensuring a prudent and realistic approach to taxpayers’ money spending. We have maintained sufficient financial margin to respond to unforeseen circumstances, taking into account the current economic and geopolitical context,” said Hungarian Minister of State and chief negotiator of the Council on the EU budget for 2025, Peter Benai. Commitments are legally binding promises about spending money on activities implemented over a number of financial years. Payments shall cover expenditure arising from commitments entered into the EU budget during the current or previous financial years. The EU budget for 2025 amounts to EUR 199,438.4 billion in total commitments and EUR 155,209.3 in total payments when the appropriations provided for special instruments outside the MFF are taken into account.