Belgium backs an "ambitious" EU budget for 2028-2034 but considers any increase in its national contribution "unrealistic".
It has labelled a recurring Commission request on customs duties as a “red line” during initial discussions at the EU Council on Friday.
Belgium’s EU ambassador, Peter Moors, acknowledged that “there are many elements we appreciate” in the multiannual budget proposal presented by the European Commission on Wednesday.
The von der Leyen administration has proposed a €2 trillion budget for 2028-2034, which is 1.26% of the collective GDP of the 27 EU member states.
It marks a significant increase from the previous budget of 1.13%, largely attributed to the repayment of the major post-Covid recovery plan, which accounts for 0.11%.
One solution could be for each Member State to increase its contribution. However, given Belgium’s current financial situation, which is under an excessive deficit procedure, Ambassador Moors warned that this option is "unrealistic" and "not viable".
In light of these objections, the Commission has suggested the EU introduce new revenue streams ("own resources") and enhance existing ones.
While Belgium is open to discussions on this front, it firmly opposes the idea of reducing the portion of customs duties that Member States retain as collection fees before remitting them to the EU—from 25% to 10%.
"This is a red line for my government. For Belgium, this loss of income would equate to an increase in our national contribution by approximately €600 million per year. This is unacceptable," the ambassador warned.
