On 15 January 2025, the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima approved the preliminary national position prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) of the European Union (EU) for the next seven-year period, from 2028 to 2034.
The position approved by the Cabinet and the European Affairs Committee sets out four priority directions for Latvia in negotiations on the EU’s next long-term budget period: security and defence; Cohesion Policy; the common agricultural policy; and support for the Rail Baltica project.
The Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbārde, discussed with members of the Saeima the priorities and strategic interests of Latvia included in the draft national position. Given the current geopolitical situation, the talks on the next EU long-term budget will focus on security and defence matters and the funding allocated to those needs.
“Formulating Latvia’s position as early as possible, as well as engaging in negotiations with the European Commission and other EU Member States during the preparation of the proposal will help us better protect Latvia’s interests, needs and priorities. We must be realistic: the development of the next EU long-term budget will be influenced by the geopolitical situation and security issues, and the shared goal of all of us is to strengthen the EU’s global influence and competitiveness,” Dace Melbārde underlined to the MPs.
As Dace Melbārde noted in discussions with the parliamentarians, one of Latvia’s priorities is security and defence, and that includes strengthening of, and infrastructure development at the eastern border of Latvia – which is also the external border of the EU and NATO – and the enhancement of military capabilities and military industry. Dace Melbārde also pointed out that Latvia is among the EU Member States who will advocate for an increase in the total EU budget, while not supporting a possible merging of the Cohesion Policy and the common agricultural policy programmes into a single funding allocation mechanism.
The European Commission is expected to publish proposals for regulations on the next period by mid-2025.
In the formulation of the initial Latvian national position on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework for the next seven-year period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also consulted NGOs and social partners representing entrepreneurs, local governments, the agricultural, civil society and social sectors.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been successfully navigating the negotiation process for the EU’s long-term budget between the interests of various fields and sectors for 20 years.
About the EU Multiannual Financial Framework
- The EU Multiannual Financial Framework is a policy and financial planning mechanism, which lays down the maximum total EU budget and expenditure for a seven-year period.
- The current EU Multiannual Financial Framework covers the period from 2021 to 2027.
- The European Commission is expected to put forward its legislative proposal for the next period (2028–2034) by mid-2025.
- EU long-term budget is adopted by EU legislators – the European Council and the European Parliament. That is, the adoption requires unanimity among EU Member States and the consent of the European Parliament.