MFF: Next steps

Both Parliament and the Commission have signalled that they are ready to make an effort to reach agreement on the new MFF and OR within one year, before the May 2019 European elections. Meeting this deadline would allow a timely start to implementation of the new spending programmes, and thus have a bearing on the agenda of the next Commission and Parliament.
However, recent European Council meetings have not brought any clarity regarding the possibility of reaching an agreement before the elections. At the summit on 28-29 June 2018, the European Council called upon the Commission and the Parliament to examine the proposals on the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027 ‘in a comprehensive manner and as soon as possible’. For now, the Parliament is sticking with its ambitious timeframe, and plans to prepare an interim report on the future MFF in the autumn, subject to the progress of Council negotiations.