European Council President António Costa began his tour of EU member states in Slovakia on Tuesday, discussing the bloc’s key priorities ahead of the new political season. Costa says EU countries must agree by the end of this year on the bloc’s long-term budget for 2028 to 2034. He warns that delays could lead to a funding gap affecting farmers, businesses, students, researchers and innovators.
The new budget should continue supporting agriculture, regional development, research and the green and digital transitions, while providing more funding for defence, security and competitiveness. Costa says strengthening European defence by 2030 is one of the EU’s key priorities.
The agreement should also include a balanced package of new EU revenue sources to keep national contributions at reasonable levels. During his tour, Costa will also discuss EU enlargement, competitiveness, defence and continued support for Ukraine.
Source: TASR
