The Party of European Socialists (PES) convened its Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) Working Group to advance the progressive family’s priorities for the next long-term EU budget (2028–2034). The meeting was chaired by PES Vice President MEP Victor Negrescu.
Participants discussed the state of negotiations and exchanged views on the political priorities that should guide the next EU budget, stressing that the Multiannual Financial Framework must provide the resources needed for Europe to become more social, by investing in people, inclusion and cohesion; more sustainable, by investing in environmental protection, food security and a fair Common Agricultural Policy; more democratic, by investing in values, transparency and culture; more resilient and future-proof, by investing in sustainable competitiveness, preparedness, security and crisis response; and more engaged, by investing in a stronger Europe in the world
Discussions focused on ensuring a strong social dimension in the next MFF, including a Self Standing, strong European Social Fund, robust standalone cohesion policy, and greater investment in quality jobs, skills, affordable housing and sustainable competitiveness. Participants also underlined the importance of maintaining dedicated funding for climate action, environmental protection, and a fair, independent Common Agricultural Policy.
Victor Negrescu PES Vice President, and chair of the meeting said:
“The next EU budget must match our political ambitions and provide the resources needed to invest in people, reduce inequalities, and support a just, sustainable, and digital transition. An ambitious Multiannual Financial Framework is essential to ensure that no region, no community, and no citizen is left behind. It must also strengthen Europe’s sustainable competitiveness, affordable energy, open strategic autonomy and resilience and security in an increasingly uncertain global context.”
Luca Menesini, (first from the left) President of the PES Group in the European Committee of the Regions, during the meeting today.
During the meeting, participants highlighted several core progressive priorities for the next EU budget, including:
- A strong social dimension, with a self-standing European Social Fund, a social investments and skills window in the ECF, via a ring-fenced Just Transition Fund and by prioritising EU funding for education, skills, and lifelong learning.
- A strong and standalone cohesion policy, based on multilevel governance, based approach, and genuine partnership with regional allocation of resources and with a specific focus for Eastern Europeregions.
- An independent and fair Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) supporting farmers, rural communities, and food security and funding for environmental protection with an autonomous LIFE programme
- Greater and better delineated EU investment in affordable and decent housing.
- Ambitious funding for sustainable competitiveness, including industrial decarbonisation, interconnectivity, renewables deployment, storage and electrification, increased funding for R&D and innovation capacity, particularly Horizon, and boosting security and defence.
- Stronger European open strategic autonomy, including via supporting strategic projects through innovative instruments for an enhanced EU budgetary financing capacity.
Participants also stressed that an ambitious EU budget requires adequate resources, including the introduction of new genuine own resources, to ensure the EU can finance its priorities and maintain investment in social cohesion, climate action, and Europe’s resilience.
Online participants at the PES MFF Working Group
List of participants:
- Victor Negrescu – Chair of the PES MFF Working Group; PES Vice President; European Parliament Vice-President – PSD, Romania
- Fernando Sampedro Marcos – Chair of the PES GAC; Secretary of State for the European Union – PSOE, Spain
- Yonnec Polet – Deputy Secretary General – PES
- Kata Tüttő – President of the European Committee of the Regions – Committee of the Regions
- Sandra Gómez – MEP, Member of BUDG Committee, Own Resources Rapporteur – S&D / PSOE, Spain
- Julia Lemke – Member, Cabinet of the Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition – European Commission
- Catalin Gheran – Member, Cabinet of the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness – European Commission
- Johanna Bernsel – Deputy Head of Cabinet, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport – European Commission
- Ariane Fontenelle – Political Secretary in the European Parliament – PS, Belgium
- Tsvetelina Penkova – MEP and International Secretary of the Bulgarian Socialist Party – BSP, Bulgaria
- Andreas Psaras – Secretary of EDEK’s Financial Committee – EDEK, Cyprus
- Ilona Sorri – International Secretary – SDP, Finland
- Matthias Ecke – MEP, Member of BUDG Committee – SPD, Germany
- Peter Heil – International Secretary – DK, Hungary
- Nicolò Carboni – Responsible for relations with the PES, International Secretariat – PD, Italy
- Franz Fayot – MP, Former Minister of Economy – LSAP, Luxembourg
- Piret Hartman – Secretary General, Former Minister for Regional Development – SDE, Estonia
- Marcos Ros Sempere – MEP, S&D REGI Coordinator – PSOE, Spain
- Luca Menesini – President of the PES Group in the CoR – PES CoR
- Chiara Malagodi – Head of Cabinet of the CoR President – CoR
- Antoine Mertzeisen – Political Advisor – CoR
- Emmi Lintonnen – Vice-President – PES Women
- George Tsoumas – Vice-President – YES
- Ledjon Shahini – Executive Director of SP Albania Think Tank – PS, Albania Think Tank
- Dusan Nikezic – Vice-President, Member of the Parliament – SSP, Serbia
- Anna Kolesnichenko – Policy Analyst on Economy – FEPS
- Antonie Varoquié – Cabinet Member of the S&D Group President – S&D
- Igor Hornak – Head of Unit, EU Budget and Cohesion Policy – S&D
- Cristina Avani – Political Advisor BUDG – S&D
- Corina Popa – Political Advisor – S&D
- Louisa Bentley – Assistant – S&D
- Arantxa Tarazona – APA to MEP Sandra Gómez – S&D
- Alejandro Peinado García – APA to MEP Marcos Ros Sempere – S&D
- Lilian Goncalves – APA to MEP Mohammed Chahim – S&D
- Hedda Fredmark – APA to MEP Adnan Dibrani – S&D
- Lyubv Bourilkova – APA to MEP Tsvetelina Penkova – S&D
- Nora Sefa – APA to MEP Matthias Ecke – S&D
- Andrea Casamenti – Just Transition Policy Coordinator – SOLIDAR
- Constantin Kourkoulas – Head of EU Policy Unit – PES
- Giorgia Azzarelli – Policy Adviser on Economic and Financial Policy – PES
