2021-2027 multiannual financial framework

Figure 6 shows the distribution of MFF and NGEU resources among the seven major categories of EU spending. The MFF details the annual ceilings for new commitments in each spending category and an overall ceiling for annual payments. In addition, it contains some special instruments outside the MFF ceilings (the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve, the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, and the Flexibility Instrument) and flexibility provisions, to give some room for manoeuvre in case of unexpected events (see Section 5.1.4). The challenge is to strike the right balance between predictability of investments and the capacity to address the unforeseen events and new priorities that can emerge during a rather long programming period.