EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin criticises 'frugals' over proposed long-term budget cuts
EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin warns that further cuts to the EU's long-term budget may not make it cheaper for taxpayers, criticising the 'frugal' countries.
European Commissioner for Budget Piotr Serafin on Thursday criticised the so-called 'frugal' countries during a speech at the annual budget conference in Brussels, saying that additional cuts and lack of ambition in new revenues for the upcoming EU long-term budget would not necessarily make it cheaper for taxpayers.
The €2 trillion budget for 2028-2034 was proposed by the European Commission in July 2025 and is currently under negotiation among member states. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Austria maintain a firm negotiating position to reduce spending and are reluctant to find new revenue sources.
Opposing them is a group of 16 southern and eastern European countries, called the 'friends of cohesion', who in late May called for increased spending on agriculture and regional funds, already significantly reduced in the Commission's proposal.
Serafin explained that a frugal budget may not be more modern and could undermine modernisation efforts. He noted that strategic investments, such as in defence and security, if not funded from the EU budget, would come from national budgets, leading to duplication, inefficiencies and fewer opportunities for economies of scale.
Member states reached a draft compromise text in mid-June, proposing a cut of €32.8 billion from the Commission's initial proposal. According to sources, this text is considered a first step towards further negotiations, with final numbers not expected until at least December. Negotiators aim to reach an agreement by the end of 2026 to avoid prolonging discussions into 2027, a key election year for several European countries.
