Position Paper: Towards a New EU Multiannual Financial Framework – The Cooperative Response

In Short

This position paper assesses the European Commission’s proposal for its new long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034 – MFF). It sets out recommendations to ensure the new budget supports cooperatives and their contribution to a fair, resilient, and locally rooted economy. 

While the proposal seeks to simplify and increase the flexibility of the EU budget, it introduces significant changes with long-term implications for cooperatives, namely: (i) the centralisation of funding through National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs), (ii) the creation of the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), and (iii) international cooperative development under the Global Europe instrument. 

To address the risks of reduced transparency, weaker policy priorities, and lower funding levels, we call for adequate resources and clear commitments to social cohesion and rural development, the social economy, as well as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). We also urge dedicated support for SMEs, including cooperatives, across all areas of the ECF, and the preservation of thematic programmes, budget lines, and diverse private-sector partnerships under Global Europe. 

This resource is created for EU policymakers, cooperators, and cooperative leaders to help them understand the new proposal and help them influence the negotiations for the EU’s 2028–2034 budget. 

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• File Format: PDF
• File Size: 1.2 MB
• Language: English

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