Brussels, 15 November 2025 (dpa/MIA) – The European Union plans to spend more money on defence and border security next year – even though the overall budget will be slightly smaller.

Negotiators from the European Parliament and the member states both say they have agreed that a total of around €190 billion ($220 billion) can be allocated in the 2026 budget.

The EU member states say planned spending on security and defence will increase by just under €200 million to €2.8 billion. Around €230 million more – and thus a total of slightly more than €5 billion – is earmarked for migration and border management.

The agreement still has to be officially confirmed by the EU member states and the European Parliament, but this is considered a formality.

The decision is based on a proposal by the European Commission, which presented a budget of €193.26 billion for the coming year at the beginning of June. According to the Brussels authorities, the money is also to be used to support Ukraine and improve Europe's competitiveness.

Last year, the countries and the parliament agreed on a slightly larger total budget of just under €200 billion for 2025. The member states had argued that next year's budget should be €186.24 billion.
As usual, the EU Parliament wanted more and entered the negotiations with a demand for €193.9 billion.

The plan for 2026 is the sixth under the so-called multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021 to 2027. The bloc's total budget amounts to around €1.1 trillion. 

MIA file photo