From Salud por Derecho, we have joined a double European initiative at a key moment for the financial future of the European Union. As we have explained on previous occasions, negotiations are underway for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) and Member States have already begun defining the plans that will determine how EU funds will be used in the coming years. For this reason, we have joined a group of European organisations to call on the Spanish Government to ensure that this process is transparent and includes, from the outset, meaningful participation from local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, trade unions and other social stakeholders.
Opening up these processes is essential to improve the quality of investments and ensure that they respond to the real needs of territories. Around 70% of the EU’s climate and energy transition objectives must be implemented at the local and regional level, which means that cities, regions and social actors should play an active role in the design, implementation and monitoring of these plans. Meaningful participation also helps strengthen accountability and build greater public trust in the decisions that will shape the EU’s economic and social direction in the coming years.
In addition, Salud por Derecho has also signed a call led by European organisations to address the risks of greenwashing in the next EU budget. The position paper, supported by leading European environmental organisations, warns that the current design of the budget framework could allow part of the spending to be labelled as “green” without actually contributing to climate or environmental objectives.
Among the proposed measures are increasing the climate and environmental spending target from 35% to 50% of the total EU budget, strengthening monitoring mechanisms, and avoiding exemptions that reduce transparency, such as excluding defence and security spending from the climate spending calculation. We also warn that certain investments — such as those related to military mobility or certain types of support without environmental criteria — could create risks of greenwashing. In addition, we call for maintaining specific tracking of biodiversity spending to ensure that the European Union meets its international commitments.
Through these initiatives, we reaffirm our commitment to a more transparent and participatory EU budget that is aligned with social, climate and public health objectives.
You can learn more about both initiatives here.
