On 9 July 2026, the European Commission submitted to the Council the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2027, as required under Article 314(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The draft budget, now available in all EU languages on the Eur-Lex website, triggers the Council's formal examination phase under the annual budgetary procedure.
The document, an information note addressed to Council delegations, marks the first step in the 2027 budget cycle. The Council will now analyse the Commission's proposal, which sets out planned expenditure and revenue for the coming year, before adopting its position. This position will then be transmitted to the European Parliament for the conciliation process, as outlined in the Treaty. The budget covers all EU policy areas, including agriculture, regional development, research, and external action, and will have direct implications for EU institutions, member states, beneficiaries of EU funds, and taxpayers. The Council's examination is expected to focus on aligning the draft with member states' fiscal priorities and the multiannual financial framework ceilings. No prior coverage of this specific budget proposal exists in recent months, making this the first formal step in the 2027 budgetary procedure.