Author | Lightnews

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 3d

EU countries are divided on the reforms, and today's budget debate will expose whether the Danes really have the backing they need to charge ahead with the controversial new budget structure

www.euractiv.com/news/danish-...

Danish minister slams Parliament for budget threats, defends controversial reforms | Euractiv

EU countries are divided on the reforms, and Tuesday's budget debate will expose whether the Danes really have the backing they need to charge ahead with the controversial structure

www.euractiv.com

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 4d

While Parliament is mired in infighting over the proposed 2028-2034 EU budget, capitals are moving ahead with the Commission’s framework, according to a draft document obtained by Euractiv.

www.euractiv.com/news/eu-coun...

EU countries move ahead on long-term budget as Parliament gridlocks | Euractiv

With MEPs divided over the Commission’s 2028–2034 budget plan, EU governments are moving forward without them

www.euractiv.com

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 8d

The Commission is open to “improving” regional involvement in their controversial budget centralised budget proposal, Fitto said on Thursday.

www.euractiv.com/news/the-com...

The Commission is open to changing part of its €2tn budget proposal, says region chief Fitto | Euractiv

"Now we have an important fundamental dialogue with the European Parliament," Fitto said.

www.euractiv.com

2

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 10d

Leaders of the political groups will delay resolving two key disputes over the EU’s long-term €2 trillion budget due to internal disagreements, several European Parliament sources told Euractiv.

www.euractiv.com/news/parliam...

Parliament delays key EU budget decisions over infighting | Euractiv

Group leaders were supposed to settle the controversial national plans on Wednesday

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 16d

A parliament move to block the €865 billion national plans would be self-defeating, say analysts.

The move is causing concern among EU diplomats, who fear budget talks will be hindered and politicised at a time when swift agreement is needed.
www.euractiv.com/news/parliam...

Parliament's potential budget block will backfire, analysts say | Euractiv

Four EU diplomats told Euractiv that the Parliament's pushback over the national plans is creating uncertainty about the way forward

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 21d

Parliament is on the verge of moving to block half of the Commission's MFF proposal

www.euractiv.com/news/sd-epp-...

S&D, EPP poised to block a key part of the Commission's EU budget proposal | Euractiv

A Parliament rejection of the plans would be a severe setback for the budget negotiations and would cast the ambitious timeline to agree by the end of 2026 into doubt

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 25d

The EU’s richest countries are rebuffing demands from the bloc’s smaller economies to "geographically balance" the proposed €234 billion competitiveness fund.

www.euractiv.com/news/france-...

France, Germany on defensive over industrial fund access for smaller EU states | Euractiv

Berlin, Paris and other major funders of the EU budget have moved to block divvying up funds along geographic lines

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · 29d

The proposed EU Budget lumps virtually all policy areas into only three main files, but maximum three over 20 parliament committees can lead on each of those, setting the stage for an all-or-nothing fight between the different committees.

www.euractiv.com/news/meps-pr...

MEPs prep for power struggle over EU's next €2 trillion budget | Euractiv

Twenty parliamentary committees are vying for control of the bloc's biggest and most hotly disputed budget files

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Sep 22

Exclusive: €122 billion of the Commisssion's revenue plan for the next budget may have been effectively shot down by EU countries last week.

www.euractiv.com/news/for-edi...

Exclusive: Commission's new corporate, tobacco levies under heavy fire from EU countries | Euractiv

No one was open to or even positive to the corporate tax, one EU diplomat said

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Sep 11

Parliament and regions are outraged over their lack of inclusion in the Commission’s €2 trillion budget proposal for 2028 to 2034, but according to budget chief @sriso.bsky.social, it’s all just a big misunderstanding.

www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

Commission's budget tsar under fire for 'Trumpian' power grab | Euractiv

If you don't like it, you don't understand it, says head of DG Budget

www.euractiv.com

1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Sep 8

w @nkurmayer.bsky.social

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Sep 8

Europe looms large in Norway's national election today – but only beneath the surface.

Most Norwegians are blissfully unaware of the European dimension of their politics and their political parties are happy to keep it that way.

www.euractiv.com/section/poli...

There is no 'EU' in Norway - Euractiv

As Norwegians head to the polls today, most neither know nor particularly care about the growing importance of the EU in their country's affairs

www.euractiv.com

1 1

Reposted by Jacob Wulff Wold

Anupriya Datta @anupriyadatta.bsky.social · Sep 5

🚨🚨

Euractiv @euractiv.com · Sep 5

Trump threatens retaliation against EU over Google fine

Trump said "my Administration will NOT allow these discriminatory actions to stand" on the social media network he owns, Truth Social

dlvr.it

2

Reposted by Jacob Wulff Wold

Eddy Wax @eddywax.bsky.social · Sep 5

How will Trump respond to this? @anupriyadatta.bsky.social has this huge story here. www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

EU fines Google €2.95 billion - Euractiv

The US tech giant was fined for violating EU competition rules in the advertising technology market

www.euractiv.com

6 5

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 30

Don’t trust the Commission's budget spin!

They proposed to slash farmer subsidies by a whopping 34% in real terms, or €155 billion in current prices, in the 2028-2034 EU budget.

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

The farmer subsidy cut is almost twice what the Commission says - Euractiv

The proposed budget will bring a €155 billion cut to EU farmer subsidies. But the unpalatable news is hidden by inflation and ambiguity surrounding the budget's new structure.

www.euractiv.com

1 3

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 22

[Opinion] At this point, Meta has no credibility to criticise EU rules, and any AI rulebook Meta would voluntarily follow would be a cop-out.

A good sign, then, that the company rejected the EU’s Code for general-purpose AI like ChatGPT.

www.euractiv.com/section/poli...

The Brief – EU AI code passes the Meta stress test, now it's time for hardball - Euractiv

Any AI rulebook Meta would voluntarily follow would be a cop-out.

www.euractiv.com

6 5

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 14

Or, as the Commission calls it: The Fund.

Forget ERDF, ESF+, CF, JTF or even EAFRD, the Commission sees only The Fund.

Only direct farmer payments remain ring-fenced in the new setup, but even that is administratively under The Fund.

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 14

For those who doubted whether the Commission could really be serious about merging two thirds of the €1.2 trillion EU budget, I present to you:

“The European Economic, Territorial, Social, Rural and Maritime Sustainable Prosperity and Security Fund.”

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

Commission to ditch regions with €800bn cash-for-reform plan - Euractiv

The system mirrors the EU's COVID-19 recovery fund, where the Commission negotiated directly with national capitals and bypassed regions in managing implementation

www.euractiv.com

1 6 7

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 14

Will EU countries accept a bigger budget and the Commission’s radical reform ideas?

I reach out to all 27 states and decoded public and non-public position papers to map out all their positions.

Buckle up for negotiations!
www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

Where all EU countries stand on the next long-term EU budget - Euractiv

As the budget overhaul is not Brussels’ call alone, member states are drawing their lines and preparing for two years of tough negotiations

www.euractiv.com

2

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 8

It’s here! Von der Leyen’s new industrial superfund will merge activities from up to 14 existing budget lines into one cash pot to free up private capital.

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

Von der Leyen moves to merge green, defence, space funds in new EU budget law - Euractiv

The consolidated cash pot aims to plug some of Europe's investment gap by deploying public funds to free up private capital.

www.euractiv.com

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 2

Don't absolve yourself from the responsibility of managing EU funds, @tonymurphyeca.bsky.social urged the Commission, slamming its core ideas to reform the next EU budget in an interview with me and @nkurmayer.bsky.social.

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

EU spending watchdog pours cold water on Commission's reform-for-cash budget plan - Euractiv

The "main problem" with a recovery-fund style model is "we don't even have a basis for saying whether it worked well or not," the EU's chief auditor told Euractiv.

www.euractiv.com

1 3

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 2

Had a chat with Stuart Russell at a critical time for the EU AI Act

www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

EU told to get real on AI or risk 'Chernobyl-sized disaster' - Euractiv

AI pioneer Stuart Russell says rolling back AI regulation now would be a dangerous mistake – with consequences for both Europe and the world.

www.euractiv.com

1 1

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jul 1

Struggling to follow the MFF debate? Here’s how the EU's current €1.2 trillion budget is spent, and how it may (radically) change for 2028-2034

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

Five fights that will shape the EU’s next €1.2 trillion budget - Euractiv

There is a broad consensus that the EU needs a more agile budget but the bloc is a heavy machine – and always at risk of taking the path of least friction.

www.euractiv.com

4 7

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jun 18

The US loves to criticise EU tech regulation, but is wrestling with an increasingly complex regulatory environment at home.

www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

As the EU implements its AI rulebook, America squares up to its own dilemma - Euractiv

Even as it criticises the EU for over-regulating digital technologies, the US is wrestling with an increasingly complex regulatory environment at home.

www.euractiv.com

2 5

Jacob Wulff Wold @wulffwold.bsky.social · Jun 17

The Commission used its 2024 budget review to pre-pitch its MFF proposal, praising reform-conditional RRF funding and channelling funds to strategic technologies though STEP, foreshadowing a competitiveness fund.

www.euractiv.com/section/econ...

Commission pats itself on the back ahead of long-term budget pitch - Euractiv

Commission touts reform-tied funding and tech investment success ahead of 2028–2034 budget proposal.

www.euractiv.com

1 1