Ireland Proposes 8 Percent EU Budget Cut While Protecting Poland

Poland has retained its proposed national allocation of 123 billion euros under the European Union's 2028-2034 budget framework, despite Ireland's proposal to reduce overall spending by 8 percent. The revised plan, presented in Brussels on October 10, 2026, would lower the budget to 1.62 trillion euros while preserving funding allocations for individual member states, including Poland's support for regional development and agriculture.

According to Interia, the Irish presidency proposed cutting 141 billion euros from the European Commission's original 1.76 trillion euro budget proposal, with figures calculated at constant 2025 prices. The largest reductions would affect spending on European competitiveness, security, and external action, while national allocations would remain at the levels proposed under the previous Cypriot presidency.

Poland remains the largest beneficiary of EU budget allocations, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Ignacy Niemczycki, who said the preservation of national funding envelopes was particularly important for Warsaw. These allocations cover areas including cohesion policy and agriculture, which support regional investment, infrastructure, and farming communities.

Niemczycki welcomed the decision to maintain Poland's allocation but warned that reducing the overall budget could undermine the bloc's ambitions.

"This is, of course, good news for us. However, reducing the size of the budget does not align with the European Union's ambitions. If we want the European Union to take ambitious action, the budget must be sufficiently large. But national allocations remain the key priority," said Ignacy Niemczycki, Poland's deputy foreign minister, according to Polskie Radio.

The dispute extends beyond spending levels to how the EU will finance its next long-term budget. Poland has opposed a European Commission proposal to direct part of the revenue from the EU emissions trading system, known as ETS, into the common budget.

Niemczycki said discussions had shown some recognition that alternative arrangements were needed for ETS-related revenue, although further work remained. The revised negotiating document also introduces changes to proposed new revenue sources, including the possibility of gradually introducing ETS contributions for some member states, according to Interia.

Poland is among 17 EU countries opposing cuts to spending on cohesion policy and agriculture, according to Polskie Radio. The group argues against reductions in areas that support regional development and farmers, while another group of countries led by Germany is pressing for substantial limits on spending.

The European People's Party has also urged EU leaders to reach an agreement without accepting a weaker long-term budget. Siegfried Mureșan, a member of the European Parliament, the legislature's co-negotiator on the 2028-2034 budget, and vice-chair of the EPP Group, said leaders needed to accelerate negotiations as elections approach in several European countries.

"Time is running out. Important elections will take place in several European countries next year, making stability even more important for a continent already facing an increasingly uncertain international situation. Although heads of state and government have delayed for months, they must stop being miserly and fulfill their commitments.

The European Parliament has done its job. Now it is time for EU leaders to do theirs," said Mureșan in a statement published by the EPP Group.

He also warned that urgency should not justify approving a budget that fails to meet Europe's needs.

"We will not approve a budget that fails to fulfill its purpose. A weaker EU budget means a weaker Europe, with fewer resources for defense and competitiveness, as well as less support for our regions and farmers. A weaker EU budget would only fuel populism. The EPP Group will not accept a long-term EU budget that does not meet Europe's needs," Mureșan said.

Irish Minister for European Affairs Thomas Byrne described the revised negotiating document as a step toward compromise, acknowledging that an initial proposal could not satisfy every member state's demands.

"We know that a proposal presented at this stage of the process will never satisfy all the demands of all parties. We still have a long way to go. However, this negotiating package is intended to act as a catalyst so that we can reach an agreement by the end of the year," Byrne said, according to Polskie Radio.

EU leaders are scheduled to discuss the revised budget proposal at a summit in Brussels on October 15-16, 2026. Ireland's presidency is seeking an agreement before the end of the year, but differences over spending levels and revenue sources remain significant as negotiations intensify.