Next MFF: where are we at now? [June 2026]

Where we stand today

1. The European Commission

The Commission continues to clarify ambiguities in the proposals. If you spot any gaps or concerns, ensure these are communicated to both the Council and the Parliament. Any changes that will be implemented in the proposed regulations from now on have to be agreed by all parties and must come from either the Parliament or the Council. 

This week, the Commission published a factsheet summarising the proposals dedicated to rural areas. This document is a key reference for your advocacy.

2. The European Parliament

The Parliament has finalised its position and from our various conversations with Members of Parliament, does not intend to revisit it. However, ELARD made a final push on 15 June 2026 with a direct appeal to MEPs, urging them to strengthen their recommendations. Our key requests were:

• Reinstate a minimum allocation for LEADER-CLLD, Smart Villages, and other local cooperation forms in the Fund regulation: minimum EUR 78 287 900 000 and increase the minimum Rural Target to EUR 234 863 700 000 (that is to say 30% of the Rural Target dedicated to LEADER-CLLD, SVs and other forms of local development).
• Strict conditions for the Rural Target, including:
  • Clear distinction between investments located in rural areas and those designed to address rural challenges.
  • Transparent justification for pro-rata rural allocations.
  • Exclusion of Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) from the Rural Target.
• Binding obligation for Member States to apply LEADER-CLLD in rural, coastal, and disadvantaged areas, modelled on Article 18 of the CAP Regulation.

We encourage you to use the attached ELARD proposal for amendments as a template for your own outreach to MEPs and national decision-makers (shorter version here).

3. The Council of the EU

On 16 June 2026, the Council made significant progress:

• Ministers discussed a revised negotiating box (lines and conditions of the Council) for the MFF 2028–2034, which includes figures for the various headings and programmes. This box will form the basis for future negotiations among Member States.
• The Council reached partial negotiating mandates on three key pillars:
  1. National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP)
  2. European Competitiveness Fund
  3. Global Europe Instrument
• Financial and horizontal issues remain under discussion as part of the broader MFF negotiations.

“Ahead of this week’s European Council, we reached a significant milestone in the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Ministers held a fruitful discussion on a revised negotiating box with figures, and reached partial negotiating positions on the three key building blocks of the future budget. As we pass the baton to our Irish colleagues, we do so with confidence that the progress achieved under the Cyprus presidency will help pave the way towards a timely agreement on a budget that matches the Union’s ambitions and delivers for its citizens.”

— Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of Cyprus

What’s Next? Your role at national level

As we transition from EU-level advocacy to national action, your engagement with ministries and decision-makers is now critical.

• Engage your national ministries responsible for the MFF and rural development. Emphasise the need for:
  • Mandatory earmarking for LEADER-CLLD in the Fund Regulation.
  • Clear, strict conditions for the Rural Target to avoid dilution of rural-focused funding.
  • Binding obligations for Member States to implement LEADER-CLLD in rural, coastal, and disadvantaged areas.
• Use the ELARD factsheet and proposal as advocacy tools. Share them widely with your networks and decision-makers.
• Coordinate with other LEADER-CLLD and rural stakeholders in your country to amplify the message.
• Stay tuned for upcoming events organised by the EU CAP Network, the Rural Pact and other EU institutions in the autumn.

Key messages to convey

Let’s keep the momentum going

The next few weeks and months are decisive. Your action at the national level will determine whether rural areas receive the attention and resources they deserve in the next EU budget.