Today, the European Parliament’s Budget committee supported dedicated funding for the LIFE programme in its position on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) interim report, but in breaking with established practice, failed to endorse strong spending targets for climate and biodiversity.
Bold targets for climate and nature are missing
The report underlines that the climate and biodiversity crisis will require the largest EU budget to date. Yet, it stops short of setting clear, ambitious spending targets for climate and nature and does not take a position on the Commission’s proposal to dedicate 35% of the next EU budget to climate and environment.
Carl Richter, EU Budget and Public Finance Policy Officer at WWF EU, says: “Without putting concrete and ambitious demands for climate and nature on the table, the Parliament’s vision remains too weak. This marks a worrying departure from previous Parliament positions on the MFF, which included precise spending targets for climate and biodiversity. It is now on the democratic majority carrying the budget negotiations to significantly raise the ambition of the Commission proposal and set strong climate and nature targets in their position on the Performance Regulation.”
The Budget committee calls for dedicated funding for LIFE
The report also highlights the pivotal role of the LIFE programme in delivering targeted, long-term support to climate, environment and nature projects on the ground. The Budget committee reiterates earlier calls for dedicated, continued, and predictable funding for LIFE projects in the next MFF. MEPs aim to earmark €3 billion for LIFE actions under the European Competitiveness Fund and €2.4 billion under the EU Facility. This is an important step that sends a clear signal to the Commission: discontinuing the LIFE programme as a standalone fund in the MFF proposals would be a strategic mistake and ultimately falls short of what stakeholders and communities on the ground urgently need – a stable, reliable and predictable funding framework.
While today’s vote stopped short of explicitly calling for a standalone LIFE programme, it reflects earlier positions adopted in the Regional Development and Environment committees, as well as the clear cross-party backing for LIFE voiced across the political spectrum, from the S&D to the ECR group, or from Environment Ministers.
“After countless expressions of support across the political spectrum and from stakeholders, today’s backing for the LIFE programme underscores LIFE’s wide recognition and strategic importance. Cutting or diluting LIFE would weaken one of the EU’s most effective tools for delivering real, measurable results for the environment and for local communities and businesses. The Commission must now act decisively and work with Parliament and Council to deliver a clear and long-term funding framework for LIFE, which would be best delivered through a standalone programme,” says Beate Aikens, Senior Advocacy Officer at WWF EU.
Next steps on the budget
The committee’s position on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) interim report, sets out the Parliament’s overall position on the next EU budget (2028-2034), including its budgetary figures. Once adopted in plenary, the report will provide a binding framework which other committees will have to use to prepare their positions on the various EU programmes and funds and will serve as the basis for negotiations with the Council on the EU budget.
The European Parliament will adopt the MFF Interim Report during its next plenary session in April. Meanwhile, Parliament negotiations on the various programmes and funds are expected to stretch towards the end of 2026. Trilogues with the Council are therefore set to start at the earliest by the end of 2026.
