site.btaAustria Urges EU to Rein in Administrative Spending in Next Long-Term Budget

In response to the European Commission’s proposal to increase administrative spending in the EU’s next multiannual budget by nearly 40% and to create around 2,500 new jobs, Austria’s Minister for European Affairs Claudia Bauer and State Secretary Alexander Proell have launched an initiative urging Brussels to cut costs, the Austrian radio and television reported Friday.

In a letter to EU Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, also signed by eight other EU member states, they call for reforms to apply within the EU institutions themselves. "Those who demand savings from the member states must start at home. In times of tight budgets, expanding the administration and creating additional jobs sends the wrong signal at the wrong time. The European Commission is credible only if it applies the same standards to itself," Bauer said in a statement carried by Austrian media.

The new budget will cover the period from 2028 to 2034. Overall, the budget plan needs to be restructured to make it simpler and more efficient, the Austrian statement said.