EU Commission: 2025 draft budget presented. Over 15 billion in grants and loans for Ukraine

The EU’s proposed budget for 2025 amounts to €199.7 billion financed from own resources, that will be used to meet the EU’s “political priorities”. It was presented today by the Commission, who also indicated the proposed expenditure commitments: €53.8 billion (almost 27%) for the Common Agricultural Policy and €0.9 billion for the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund; €49.2 billion for regional development and cohesion; €16.3 billion to support “our partners and interests in the world”, according to a statement from the Commission (of which €1.9 billion will go to humanitarian aid). €4.3 billion in grants and €10.9 billion in loans are available for Ukraine. €13.5 billion are allocated for research and innovation (of which €12.7 billion will finance the Horizon Europe programme), €4.6 billion are available for European strategic investments, and €2.1 billion for the European Space Programme. €11.8 billion will go to “resilience and values” (this category includes, for example, €4 billion for Erasmus+, €352 million to support artists and creators across Europe, and €235 million to “promote justice, rights, and values”). €2.4 billion is earmarked for “environment and climate action”, an amount that is lower than the €2.7 billion earmarked for “protecting our borders”. €2.1 billion will go to migration-related spending. “Defence” will get €1.8 billion (including €1.4 billion to support capability development and research under the European Defence Fund - EDF). €977 million are allocated for the functioning of the single market and €583 million for EU4Health to ensure a comprehensive health response to people’s needs, while €203 million will go to the European Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU). Finally, security will get €784 million plus €196 million for secure satellite connections. This proposal, presented by the Commission today, “is part of the Union’s long-term budget as adopted at the end of 2020 and as amended in February 2024”, a statement from Brussels reads. The nearly 200 billion budget, financed from own resources, will be topped up by expenditure under NextGenerationEU, financed from borrowing on the capital markets.Redazione