How to make the next MFF reflect the European Union’s priorities

Speakers: Ditte Maria Brasso Sørensen, Vice-Director, Think Tank EUROPA; Justinas Mickus, Senior Policy Analyst and Foresight Lead, Lithuanian Government Strategic Analysis Centre (STRATA); Niels Flemming Hansen, MEP, Group of the European People's Party, European Parliament; Philipp Lausberg, Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre; Sophie Barbier, Director European Affairs Division, Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations

Moderator: Iben Tybjærg Schacke-Barfoed, Analyst and Chief of Communications and Administration, Think Tank EUROPA

The European Union’s next long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), will shape the EU’s capacity to deliver on its growing list of priorities, including defense, enlargement, and the green and digital transitions. As demands increase and fiscal constraints tighten, how can the EU ensure that the next MFF shows ambition while remaining feasible?

Following the launch of the Commission’s proposal for the next MFF on 16 July, this discussion explored the framework’s main features, its alignment with EU priorities, and the political dynamics expected to define the negotiations - particularly given that they begin under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU.