EU governments have backed a partial negotiating position on plans that would merge several major EU funding programmes into a single framework for the bloc’s next long-term budget from 2028 to 2034.
The proposed system, called national and regional partnership plans (NRPP), would require each member state to draw up one comprehensive plan instead of separate programmes covering cohesion funding, agriculture, fisheries, migration, security and the social climate fund, the Council announced on Tuesday.
It added its stance is “partial” because it does not cover financial and broader cross-cutting issues, which are being negotiated as part of the overall multiannual financial framework (MFF) — the EU’s seven-year spending plan — for 2028 to 2034.
“By bringing fundamental EU priorities together under a single fund, we can deliver more effectively and respond faster to known and future challenges, both regionally and nationally,” said Marilena Raouna, Cyprus’s deputy minister for European affairs.
Under the proposal, each country’s plan would set out investments and reforms linked to EU-wide strategic objectives, with money released by the European Commission when agreed milestones and targets are met.
Funding would also be subject to horizontal conditions linked to fundamental rights and respect for the rule of law.
Flexibility for countries and regions
Member states would still have to address all NRPP strategic objectives, but would only need to cover the sub-objectives most relevant to their national circumstances, the Council said.
The Council’s negotiating position also simplifies procedures for approving and amending plans, including a mid-term review, while reinforcing the role of regions in negotiating and implementing EU financing.
The framework would maintain continuity of funding for beneficiaries in agriculture and fisheries, and would strengthen the role of the common agricultural policy and common fisheries policy in the next budget period.
The agreed position is the Council’s mandate to begin negotiations with the European Parliament on the NRPP regulation, while the overall size of the fund will depend on the final agreement on the full 2028–2034 EU budget package.
The European Commission presented initial proposals for the 2028–2034 period in July and September 2025, and an agreement before the end of 2026 would allow the necessary laws to be adopted in 2027 so that funding can continue without interruption from January 2028.
