On Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2027

– having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 and the joint statements agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed hereto,

– having regard to the Secretary-General’s report to the Bureau on drawing up Parliament’s preliminary draft estimates for the financial year 2027,

– having regard to the preliminary draft estimates drawn up by the Bureau on 9 March 2026 pursuant to Rules 25(7) and 104(1) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the draft estimates drawn up by the Committee on Budgets pursuant to Rule 104(2) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to Rule 104 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A100000/2026),

A. whereas the budget proposed on 9 February 2026 by the Secretary-General for the Parliament’s preliminary draft estimates for 2027 amounts to EUR 2 665 474 853 and represents an increase of 2,33 % or EUR 60 618 266 compared to 2026 budget;

B. whereas the increase of 2,33 % as proposed by the Secretary-General is due to an increase of 2,01 % for statutory financial obligations and 2,89 % for non-statutory expenditure;

C. whereas the Union annual inflation was 2,3 % in December 2025 according to Eurostat, down from 2,7 % in December 2024; whereas the level of expenditure in Heading 7 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027 is based on a 2 % annual increase;

D. whereas the credibility of the Parliament depends on its ability to deliver on its core budgetary, legislative and scrutiny work to the highest standard, while setting an example vis-à-vis other Union institutions to plan and conduct its spending prudently and efficiently and to reflect the prevalent economic realities;

General framework

1. Is concerned with the situation of Heading 7 in the current MFF; recalls that the constraints are the results of the cuts applied by the Council to the Commission’s already very low initial proposal when agreeing on the 2021-2027 MFF; regrets the Council’s opposition to the Commission’s proposal to increase the ceiling of Heading 7 in the MFF revision as from 2024; points out the failure to address the issue of the ceiling of Heading 7 in the MFF revision; highlights that the forecasted negative margin for 2027 presupposes the use of special instruments in Heading 7 for that purpose;

2. Recalls that almost two-thirds of the budget is fixed by statutory obligations; recalls that the salary indexation, in line with the Staff Regulations and Statute for Members of the European Parliament, is currently forecast by the Commission for July 2026 at 2,2 % and for July 2027 at 2,3 %;

3. Notes that out of the increase of EUR 60,6 million compared to the 2026 budget. an increase of EUR 33,3 million is due to statutory financial obligations, mainly for salary updates of officials and temporary staff (EUR 16,2 million) and contract agents (EUR 1,7 million); notes that an exceptional direct aid is foreseen from 2027 onwards for each trainee based in Luxembourg (up to EUR 500 per month of traineeship) to help them cope with rising housing costs;

4. Notes that Parliament does not request any additional posts for 2027, the fourth year in a row;

5. Notes that the increase for non-statutory expenditure between 2026 and 2027 is 2,89 %;

6. Welcomes the ongoing work of the Secretary-General on administrative cooperation, planning and simplification aimed at enhancing efficiency, an efficient use of resources and achieving savings where possible; asks the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with regular updates on the implementation of the Action Plan on administrative simplification and its impact in terms of budget and staff;

Strengthening Parliament’s core functions

7. Takes note of the four new thematic Directorates-General (DGs), operational since January 2025 and responsible for legislative, budgetary and scrutiny activities, in order to improve the functioning of Parliament as a co-legislator, as one arm of the budgetary authority, and as discharge authority;

8. Takes notes of the redeployment of internal resources as regards the number of allocated posts (+15 % from 2024 to2026), the budgetary envelope for external staff (item 1400, from EUR 3,2 million in 2024 to EUR 8 million in 2027) and the budget for external expertise (item 3200, from EUR 3,2 million in 2024 to EUR 7,7 million in 2027) to reinforce the expertise provided to Members; requests the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with regular updates on the evolution of resources in those four new DGs;

Digital transition

9. Notes that the overall IT budget represents 7,6 % of the total budget in the 2027 estimates and amounts to EUR 205 million; stresses the importance of a sound cybersecurity infrastructure in geopolitically turbulent times; recalls the planned gradual increase of the cybersecurity financial appropriations to 10 % of Parliament’s ICT budget; notes that such planned increase should be implemented as soon as possible;

10. Notes that the total amount allocated to cybersecurity is EUR 16,9 million which includes an increase on the centralised cybersecurity line by 55 % compared to 2026; recalls that investments in cybersecurity are key to protecting the democratic voice of the Parliament and the Union;

11. Stresses that Parliament needs to be at the forefront of adopting more digital working methods; welcomes investments in artificial intelligence (AI) amounting to EUR 1 million; calls for the use of AI to be increased in order to gain efficiencies and strengthen sovereignty in this field; highlights the potential of AI to streamline administrative processes; encourages the development of clear guidelines and safeguards to ensure the responsible and transparent implementation of AI, fostering innovation while upholding fundamental rights, security, and accountability; notes that the development of AI will be closely monitored in line with the principles established by the Bureau;

12. Takes note of the preparations of a consolidated action plan aimed at strengthening Parliament’s position on Digital Sovereignty; looks forward to receiving regular updates on the progress made;

Infrastructure

13. Welcomes the new approach related to buildings, that entered an area of consolidation rather than acquiring new buildings, taking into account sustainability, accessibility and mobility;

14. Takes note that the SPAAK building renovation starts to be carried out as of 2027; takes note that the overall budget for the renovation has been set at EUR 455 million and that EUR 77,67 million are foreseen for 2027; underlines that these costs are not included in the budget 2027;

15. Takes note that the Parliament intends to contract loans, including with the European Investment Bank, for the financing of the SPAAK renovation project; takes note that, in the budget for 2027, costs linked to interest (EUR 3,17 million) and to the repayment of the capital (EUR 0,65 million) are included; calls on the administration to keep the Committee on Budgets closely informed on the applicable interest rates for the loans and the long-term planning of the repayment of the principal;

16. Regrets the delays in establishing Europa Experiences in all Member States; takes note of the new concept, endorsed by the Bureau on 31 March 2025, to optimise the use of the Europa Experience spaces, taking into account the different situations across the Member States; stresses the importance of ensuring that the Europa Experience should offer an engaging visitor experience to attract citizens; calls for the establishment of Europa Experiences with priority to be given to Member States furthest from the three places of work while ensuring that their development and operation remain cost-effective; recalls that Europa Experiences should allow all citizens to have a better understanding of the functioning of Union institutions;

Green Parliament

17. Takes note of the budget of EUR 8,97 million for investments on energy efficiency and environment in the 2027 estimates to further improve the environmental performance of its buildings; notes that this corresponds to an increase of 6,1 % compared to the 2026 budget;

18. Notes that the budget for buying carbon credits has further increased compared to 2026, estimated at EUR 950 000 for 2027; calls on the administration to continue decreasing Parliament’s emissions, where reasonable, over buying carbon credits; welcomes the introduction of an enhanced train offer for missions to Strasbourg as of June 2025, as a positive step towards reducing CO2 emissions;

Others

19. Believes that Parliament should lead by example concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, both as an employer and as a public institution; welcomes Parliament’s policy aiming to ensure the fully independent use of Parliament buildings by persons with disabilities and supports further measures and adaptations that are necessary in this regard; notes that the budget provides for EUR 2,07 million for this purpose for its buildings in Strasbourg;

20. Reaffirms its call for the Secretary-General to emphasise the fundamental principle that all recruitments should be based on competency while also ensuring geographical balance among all Member States at every staff level; underscores that achieving fair geographical representation is essential to fostering a genuinely European public service; notes that Parliament has taken measures to support this objective, including the organisation of nationality-specific competitions; highlights the need to accelerate the competitions’ processes while maintaining a strict merit-based selection approach;

21. Highlights that multilingualism is a key principle on which Parliament’s work is based; asks that, where appropriate, Parliament capitalise on major technological evolutions in multilingualism-related services, including the development and use of AI;

22. Adopts the estimates for the financial year 2027;

23. Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the estimates to the Council and the Commission.