Almeida and 20 other European mayors call for investment to be preserved in the EU budget

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida and the mayors of 20 other European capitals have called for the next European Union budget, for the 2028–2034 period, not to be based on a general reduction target without assessing its effects on territories. The request appears in an open letter addressed to Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin and European Council President António Costa.

The signatories also include the mayors of Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, and Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, together with Kata Tüttő, president of the European Committee of the Regions. The initiative responds to a request by six member states—Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Finland and Denmark—to reduce the European Commission’s budget proposal by several hundred billion euros.

Mayors warn of the impact on local investment

The signatories warn that cuts could force them to cancel or delay investment, or shift its funding to national, regional and local budgets. According to the letter, areas that could be affected include cohesion, competitiveness, housing, transport, research and climate adaptation.

European Committee of the Regions President Kata Tüttő argued that cuts would widen the gap between the Union’s ambitions and its ability to fulfil them, with consequences felt first in cities, regions and communities. She also argued that the European budget should be assessed by what it enables territories to fund, rather than treated as an abstract figure.

They call for predictable cohesion policy and territorial involvement

The letter calls for a strong and predictable cohesion policy, with stable resources and a place-based approach. The signatories also call for cities and regions to participate in designing European programmes, and for any budget simplification not to reduce their investment capacity or further centralise decision-making.

They also call for a debate on EU revenue, including the future of its own resources. The letter does not set out an alternative budget figure: it argues that decisions on the size of the financial framework should take account of their territorial impact and the ability to fund European priorities.

The negotiating proposal for the 2028–2034 period is still under discussion. The mayors’ demand focuses on how to assess any adjustment and preserve local involvement, not on reaching a final agreement on the budget.