By Thea Pieridou*
The European Union’s long-term budget, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), defines how much money the EU can invest over a typical seven-year period in projects and programs that shape the future of Europe.
It offers added European value by funding initiatives that member states cannot achieve alone or as efficiently. Investments financed by the EU budget benefit millions of students, thousands of researchers, regions, cities, universities, businesses, NGOs, and all European citizens. It is a tool historically tied to the principles of solidarity and social cohesion. To debunk the myth surrounding the EU budget, it is important to highlight that the overwhelming majority (~93%) of the budget concerns development expenditures across…
