Croatian Members of the EESC Host the Event ‘The New Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034: What Lies Ahead?

The event opened with introductory remarks by Marija Hanževački, EESC Vice-President for Communication; Zrinka Ujević, Head of the European Commission Representation in Croatia; Vicko Mardešić, Acting Director of the Directorate for EU Programmes at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy; Domagoj Mikulić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds; Marko Pavić, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Member of the Croatian Parliament; and Zvonimir Savić, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

This was followed by a presentation from Lidija Pavić‑Rogošić, Vice-President of the EESC Civil Society Organisations Group, who outlined the key elements of the proposed new Multiannual Financial Framework and the main positions of the EESC.

The central part of the programme was the panel discussion “The New MFF 2028–2034: What Lies Ahead?”. The discussion featured, in addition to Zvonimir Savić, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Vicko Mardešić from the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Domagoj Mikulić from the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, and Hana Huzjak from the European Commission and three EESC members – Irena Weber (Employers’ Group), Mirela Bojić (Workers’ Group) and Luka Bogdan (Civil Society Organisations’ Group. The panel was moderated by Marina Rožić (Employers’ Group), while Violeta Jelić (Employers’ Group) provided the concluding summary of the event.

EESC’s Key Positions

The EESC welcomes the intention to simplify administrative procedures and increase flexibility, while at the same time calling for clear safeguards to ensure that the mission of key European Union policies, as well as the position of regions and vulnerable groups, is not undermined.

In this context, one of the main criticisms of the proposed MFF concerns the risk of weakening cohesion policy, reducing the influence of regions and eroding the model of multi‑level governance by shifting responsibilities from the regional to the national level, while simultaneously strengthening the discretionary powers of Member States through the national and regional partnership plans.

Although the EESC supports an increase in the EU budget — noting that the proposed increase is minimal and potentially insufficient to meet all European priorities — it strongly opposes cuts to cohesion funding and the Common Agricultural Policy.

The EESC considers that the European Social Fund Plus and the Just Transition Fund should remain separate instruments with increased budgets. It also warns that merging a larger number of funds into a single instrument may create internal competition between priorities and weaken long‑term development objectives, potentially leaving less developed areas without the necessary investments. At the same time, the EESC supports the establishment of a European Competitiveness Fund, the strengthening of the Horizon Europe programme and an increase in the budget for Global Europe as an important instrument of the EU’s external action.

Furthermore, the EESC believes that the national and regional partnership plans must involve local and regional actors, social partners, civil society organisations and sectoral stakeholders in all phases of planning and implementation. For this reason, it issues a strong critique of the current consultation model, in which the real influence of partners on investment priorities is limited.

Particular emphasis is placed on supporting small and medium‑sized enterprises, regional and cross‑border innovation ecosystems, and investments in skills and quality jobs, accompanied by transparent, predictable and inclusive fund management and genuine simplification of procedures.

The EESC also welcomes the proposal for new EU own resources from the Emissions Trading System and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, but expresses reservations regarding the proposal for Corporate Resources for Europe (CORE) and calls on the Commission to reconsider the proposal for a digital services tax.

Takeaways from the event

The panel discussion opened a series of important questions related to the future priorities of the European Union, the governance of EU funds and the impact of the new financial framework on businesses, workers, civil society organisations and regions.

One of the key conclusions highlighted was that the reform of the EU budget must preserve the balance between the Union’s new priorities and its traditional policies.

The discussion confirmed that the green and digital transitions remain among the EU’s key priorities, while emphasising that the transition must be economically sustainable, socially fair and territorially balanced.

Several participants stressed the importance of ensuring that the simplification model is also applied at national level, to avoid a situation in which simplification remains only declaratory and national rules make it more difficult to access EU funds.

Representatives of employers’ associations underlined the need for greater investment in the private sector as the key driver of the economy. It was also noted that small and medium‑sized enterprises, crafts and micro‑businesses continue to face serious obstacles in accessing EU funds, primarily due to administrative complexity and financing instruments that are not adapted to their needs.

Throughout the discussion, participants emphasised that cooperation with social partners and civil society organisations must be genuine and substantive, rather than merely formal, and that these actors should be involved in the entire planning and programming process from the very beginning.

In the part of the discussion focused on social issues, the importance of investing in education, skills development and quality jobs was highlighted, particularly in the context of labour shortages and the green transition, as well as the need to preserve a strong social dimension within the EU budget.

It was repeatedly stressed that competitiveness and cohesion must not be seen as opposing goals, but as complementary elements of the European Union’s development.

Civil society organisations advocate increasing social spending in the NRPPs from the proposed 14% to 20%, and allocating at least 14% to the ESF in order to strengthen the EU’s social dimension. They also call for simplification of ESF procedures and strengthening administrative capacities to improve accessibility and implementation. A strong focus on young people is essential, and at least 20% of ESF resources should be dedicated to the reinforced Youth Guarantee and quality youth employment. Furthermore, they call for stronger, long‑term and stable funding within the MFF, as well as mandatory and systematic involvement of civil society in the planning, implementation and monitoring of all EU policies and funds, accompanied by reduced bureaucratic barriers and clear, transparent mechanisms for monitoring reforms.

In conclusion, participants stressed that the success of the new MFF will depend not only on the size of the budget, but also on the quality of governance, the involvement of partners and the ability of European and national policies to respond to the concrete needs of citizens, businesses and regions.

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