04 February 2026

The European Commission’s budget proposal for the period from 2028 to 2034 is a clear break with the pervious architecture in ways that pose a serious challenge for municipalities and regions across Europe. Key structural changes hand much of the monetary decision-making power to the national level, slashing Europe’s budgetary leverage to ensure its values are upheld. In the process, there is a real risk that municipalities will be side-lined without a strong European backbone to defend their importance and role in multi-level governance and participation.

Climate Alliance has thus worked intensely on the topic of the next EU budget as a part of the Local Alliance – a coalition of Europe’s leading local and regional governments. The Commission’s proposal is on the table and the European Council has now given its consent but the deal is far from done. Now is the time for local and regional actors to reach out to key policy makers working on the EU budget and urge them to ensure it delivers for towns, cities and regions.