“There was almost a kind of explosion in the (European) Parliament,” said center-right German lawmaker Monika Hohlmeier.

Critics fear the plans will give the Commission’s budget department disproportionate power in distributing cash, to the detriment of regions, farmers, lawmakers and spending watchdogs.

“If this news is true, it would jeopardize the future of the European project, because it would exclude regions and cities instead of including them. » said Vasco Alves Cordeirothe president of the European Committee of the Regions.

Although the Commission could have dismissed these criticisms, there are signs that it is taking them seriously. New EU budget chief Piotr Serafin vows to put ‘regions at the centre’ in his written response to lawmakers, which was seen as a concession to disgruntled local bodies.

The Commission’s formal budget proposal is expected next year and national capitals must find unanimous agreement by the end of 2027.

Budget merger

In a familiar dynamic, rich northern countries have come out in favor of the cash-for-reforms model, while poorer central and eastern European states, which receive the bulk of EU funding, have oppose it.