# Netherlands will not back Irish EU budget proposal, says Heinen

> Finance Minister Eelco Heinen has rejected the Irish EU presidency's proposal for the EU multiannual budget.

Politics · published 2026-10-10 13:10 · updated 2026-10-10 14:27 · https://nlnow.nl/a/netherlands-will-not-back-irish-eu-budget-proposal-says-heinen/

The Netherlands will not agree to the proposal for the EU multiannual budget that the Irish presidency presented on Saturday, Finance Minister Eelco Heinen said in a statement.

The proposal, presented by Ireland, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, would set the budget for 2028-2034 at €1,622 billion in 2025 prices. That is 8% less than the €1.76 trillion the European Commission had proposed, but still well above the current budget of €1.2 trillion, which runs until the end of 2027.

**The Irish proposal cuts the Commission's plan but stays well above today's budget** (€ billion; source: Irish EU presidency, European Commission)

- Current budget 2021-2027: 1200
- Commission proposal 2028-2034: 1760
- Irish proposal 2028-2034: 1622

“The Netherlands cannot agree to this proposal either,” Heinen said. “Together with other countries, the Netherlands wants to see a much bigger reduction of the budget. So we are sending the proposal straight back.”

The European Parliament has also rejected the Irish proposal, but for the opposite reason: it objects to the cuts.

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