- This event has passed.
ECA opinion on the next long-term EU budget: Single Market and Customs Programme
On Tuesday 17 February 2026, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) will publish its opinion on the proposed Single Market and Customs Programme under the long-term EU budget of almost €2 trillion between 2028 and 2034.
The proposed Single Market and Customs Programme will merge five existing EU instruments into one legal framework: parts of the Single Market Programme, the Customs Programme, the Customs Control Equipment Instrument, the Fiscalis Programme and the Union Anti Fraud Programme.
In 2025, the Commission put forward a total of €2 trillion for the EU’s 2028-2034 budget, or multiannual financial framework (MFF). The Council, which will ultimately decide on the budget, and the European Parliament, which needs to give its consent, have asked for the auditors’ views before they examine the proposals. In mid-January 2026 the ECA started issuing a series of opinions on these proposals.
The opinion and press release will be published on the ECA’s website (eca.europa.eu) at 17:00 CET on Tuesday 17 February. The ECA Members responsible for the opinions Is Hans Lindblad.
As the EU’s independent external auditor, the ECA helps improve financial management by issuing opinions on the Commission’s proposals for new or revised legislation. Where these legislative proposals entail a significant financial impact, EU law requires that our institution be consulted. Therefore, in line with this institutional mandate, we provide our opinions on the MFF proposals, highlighting risks and lessons learned based on our extensive experience with the EU budget.