Report: 14 EU States Challenge Budget Reform Plans
Above: President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during the weekly College meeting at the European Union Commission headquarters, on June 4, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. Image copyright: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The Commission's centralization plan threatens one of the EU's most successful policies. Regional cohesion funding has been crucial for narrowing economic disparities between rich and poor areas across Europe. Merging these funds into national pots would strip regions of their voice and undermine the bottom-up approach that has worked for decades.
Narrative B
The current system is too fragmented and inefficient, with over 530 separate programs creating bureaucratic nightmares. Streamlining funds into national plans would simplify the administration and ensure better coordination of EU money. This reform would give national governments the flexibility needed to address their specific challenges more effectively.
