Late Thursday evening, EU sources reported that the budget issue would be postponed until the end of November. Before then, a new proposal - a so-called negotiating box - will be drawn up by European Council President Antonio Costa.
Among other things, new proposals are promised for ways to finance the EU budget without increasing member states' contributions.
However, Sweden remains opposed to such new financing methods.
Money does not become free just because it is called European, said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) on his way to the meeting.
Pressure to reach agreement this year
France has pushed for a quick settlement during Thursday's extended meetings.
President Emmanuel Macron believes the budget can be ambitious, but that new forms of financing are needed. He is also said to have told the summit that a deal must be reached in December, as otherwise it would be politically sensitive in France to make such a major EU decision so close to the French presidential election in April.
Council President Costa is following the French lead and wants a complete budget agreement before the end of the year, so that implementation decisions can be made in 2027 - well in time for the budget to start being used in 2028.
“Can't be in a hurry”
But the Swedish government does not want to link the long-term budget to the French presidential election.
A budget that comes into effect in 2028 should have been decided before 2028. But again, Sweden cannot be in a hurry to reach a compromise if we don't think it's good. Of course not, said Kristersson.
Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Austria are strongly critical of the compromise proposal that Ireland - which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union this autumn - has developed ahead of Thursday's meeting.
That would entail too great a cost for Sweden, Kristersson believes.
Sweden is not an ATM for the EU, he said.
Merz: Bring more shirts!
On the opposite side in the budget battle are countries such as Poland, Italy and Spain, which are part of a group of 17 countries that call themselves “friends of cohesion”.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants an “ambitious” budget, not only for traditional areas such as agricultural and regional policy, but also for dealing with migration.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hopeful of a deal as early as this year - even if that means the final summit in December could be extra long.
“We'll probably have to pack a few more shirts than usual,” Merz said in Brussels.
Facts: Latest bid on the EU budget
As the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Ireland has proposed a long-term budget of 1,622 billion euros (compared with 1,763.1 billion in the European Commission's original proposal from last summer).
The money is distributed across four main areas:
914.2 billion (946.4 billion in the original proposal) for “economic, social and territorial cohesion”, which covers everything from agricultural and regional support to migration management and repayment of the joint corona loan.
455.6 billion (522.2 billion in the original proposal) for “competitiveness, prosperity and security” - which also includes defense, research and student exchanges, among other things.
156.9 billion (190 billion in the original proposal) for “global Europe”, with assistance and support for neighboring regions and countries on their way to joining the EU.
95.3 billion (104.4 billion in the original proposal) for “administration and other” expenses, such as salaries.
Source: European Commission/Council of the European Union.
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