Priorities — support for border regions and combating discrimination against farmers.
Member of the European Parliament Nils Ushakov (Social Democrats group) has been appointed chief rapporteur for the European Union budget for 2027. This is the first time in history that someone from Latvia or the Baltic states has held this strategically important position, taking on the responsibility for the EU's main annual financial document.
"I have two main tasks — a socially responsible European budget as a whole, as well as the interests of Eastern Europe and border regions," Ushakov noted.
Work is currently underway on the draft of the main guidelines for the EU budget for 2027, and the MEP proposes to include a number of innovations. In the draft prepared by Ushakov, special attention is given to local governments located at the EU's external border in the east. It is recognized that border areas face not only security risks but also structural economic and social problems, and therefore the rapporteur proposes to provide special support specifically for border municipalities.
Additionally, the prepared draft explicitly states the need to end the discrimination of farmers in Central and Eastern Europe by eliminating disparities in direct payment and support mechanisms.
"Border municipalities need targeted compensation, not just slogans. And farmers on the Eastern flank must finally receive fair treatment, putting an end to years of inequality," emphasizes N. Ushakov. It is important that in the context of border regions, the draft allows for the possibility of funding for border strengthening, or "necessary physical measures," with direct use of EU budget funds.
Overall, the prepared draft of the main provisions is distinctly socially oriented. Housing in the document is defined as "a fundamental right, not an object of speculation," for the first time calling for European-level investments in housing accessibility. In healthcare, the focus has shifted from infrastructure to human resources, requiring the implementation of effective staff retention strategies to prevent "brain drain" from the healthcare systems of member states.
2027 is the last year under the current multiannual budget. In the draft of the main provisions, Ushakov proposes a paradigm shift — to abandon the logic of "in the last year, funds must be utilized at any cost," instead assessing the real return of budget programs and how they have helped each EU resident.
In working on the 2027 budget, it is necessary to consider the complex financial background and the "time bomb" — rising costs of servicing the NextGenerationEU debt. It is projected that interest payments in 2027 could reach 10 billion euros, while the budget allocates only just under 5 billion for this, resulting in a deficit of over 5 billion euros.
The main budget directions (Guidelines) are currently being developed. In the budgetary procedure, this is the first and most conceptually important step — a political resolution that defines strategic priorities and frameworks before the European Commission makes specific numerical calculations.
In the previous term, Ushakov served as the rapporteur for the administrative budget of the European Parliament, and this year his area of responsibility covers the overall EU budget. The 2027 budget is particularly important as it will be the concluding and decisive year in the current multiannual financial framework.
