At its meeting on 1 September, the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education (CULT) discussed the draft Opinion for the Resolution on the 2026 EU budget. Members opposed budget cuts proposed by the Council as this would further undermine an already underfunded area, which societal role is essential, in particular for young people. The Opinion calls for reinforced funding opportunities in culture, the creative industries, education, sport, and mobility across Member States. By promoting more effective allocation of resources and ensuring transparent use of funds, MEPs seek to strengthen access to culture, encourage innovation in learning, and promote equal opportunities for citizens in these sectors. 

The Budget Committee (BUDG) also confirmed during its meeting this week that cuts to the 2026 budget should not affect citizen-focused programmes such as Erasmus+, Horizon, and EU4Health, which are flagship programmes directly impacting citizens’ well-being. BUDG will in October vote first on the budgetary amendments and then on the budgetary resolution. The plenary vote and budget adoption is expected at the end of November.