MFF 2028-2034: Council agrees partial position on new framework to monitor and evaluate the EU budget
The Council today agreed its partial negotiating position on a new framework to monitor, track and evaluate the performance of the next long-term EU budget for the period 2028-2034.
The new legislation – known as the performance framework regulation – will make oversight, monitoring and reporting of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) simpler, more consistent and less burdensome. Overall, it aims to increase coherence between budgetary programmes, reduce complexity for beneficiaries, boost transparency and lower costs across the board.
“Every budget needs appropriate oversight and evaluation. The MFF is no different. The new performance regulation is geared towards delivering maximum transparency, maximum accountability and maximum visibility for the EU budget. In short, it’s about making sure that it delivers for member states, regions, beneficiaries and citizens alike.”
Makis Keravnos, Minister for Finance of the Republic of Cyprus
The negotiating position is ‘partial’ because it excludes certain horizontal issues currently being discussed as part of the negotiations on the overall multiannual financial framework (MFF) covering the period 2028 to 2034.
In detail, the performance regulation:
- sets out and aligns horizontal principles and targets across the EU budget, such as the ‘do no significant harm’ and gender equality principles, as well as climate and environmental targets
- harmonises the system for monitoring EU spending and measuring budget performance through, for example, streamlined indicators and coefficients, making it possible to aggregate data across programmes
- optimising budget performance reporting and the provision of information about funding opportunities across the EU budget, including through a new online ‘single gateway’
- laying down common rules applicable across the budget, such as on evaluation of programmes and activities, as well as on communication and visibility
Council position
Overall, the changes proposed by the Council’s partial negotiating mandate aim at providing legal certainty, operational stability and flexibility to member state authorities, while minimising administrative burden for all participants through simplification and reduced reporting requirements.
Among other improvements, the Council strengthens monitoring of the ‘do no significant harm’ environmental principle for spending under the EU budget by tasking the Commission with defining a methodology for assessing compliance.
To improve efficiency and cut down on administrative burdens, the text stipulates that reporting requirements for member states and funding recipients should be proportionate and in accordance with the ‘once-only principle’.
Finally, the Council fine-tunes the list of intervention fields and indicators proposed by the Commission for monitoring and tracking across policy areas, making them more practical and useful for daily use by member states and beneficiaries.
Next steps
The partial negotiating position approved today is the Council’s mandate to start negotiations with the European Parliament on the performance framework regulation.
Background
Following the European Commission’s initial proposals for the 2028–2034 period presented in July and September 2025, an EU agreement on the overall MFF by the end of 2026 would allow for the adoption of legislative acts in 2027. This is necessary to ensure that EU funding reaches beneficiaries without interruption from January 2028.
