Brussels budget 2027 ← Back to the budget overview

Try it yourself · 2027 budget

Draw up the 2027 budget

Where does the €1,284m deficit come from?

A rough estimate. We start from the 2026 budget without the Government's savings and extra revenue: revenue would then be €6.50 billion and spending €7.76 billion. For 2027 we grow revenue by 2.7% (0.7% economic growth according to the general explanatory memorandum, plus about 2% inflation). Spending then follows from the €1,284m deficit that the Government itself estimates. These are figures under European accounting rules (ESA) for the Region: without COCOM and without loans and repayments. That is why they are lower than the €9.58 billion on the budget page.

And compared with 2026?

The press reports that the deficit has to fall by €238m: from €957m in 2026 to €719m. Without new measures, the deficit would meanwhile rise by another €30m. That is why another €268m is needed on top of the 2026 measures.

And COCOM?

This exercise covers the Region. The Common Community Commission (COCOM: family allowances, care and welfare) has its own budget and its own path: its deficit must fall from €35m in 2026 to €23m in 2027, €11m in 2028 and balance in 2029. For 2027, that means €12m less deficit.

For COCOM there is no estimate of the deficit under unchanged policy and no breakdown of measures by year. All we know is that ministers' offices get 20% less and that staff and running costs at Vivalis and Iriscare grow more slowly. In 2026 COCOM also counts on €65m of underspending: without that estimate, the deficit would be €100m.

The Region pays COCOM a grant of €276m. Cutting that grant reduces the Region's deficit but increases COCOM's. That is why COCOM is not counted here in the €531m.

COCOM, General explanatory memorandum, 2026 budget (B-68/1), p. 4 and 14

How it works

  1. Tick measures until the meter at the top reaches zero. You can combine measures; only measures that contradict each other are mutually exclusive.
  2. All amounts apply to 2027. The Government still accepts a deficit of €719m that year, so you do not need to balance the budget, but you do need to find the €531m in the chart above. A plus is better for the budget, a minus costs money.
  3. For each area you can see what the Government plans, broken down into sub-measures labelled Government. Anything the Government does not break down is shown separately as "rest of the package".
  4. A label shows where each figure comes from: Budget Press Study Rough estimate Calculation. A calculation is our own estimate based on public figures.
  5. The label 2029 amount means that only an amount for 2029 is known, once the measure is fully running. In 2027 the measure will probably yield less. If the explanation says “Amount from the 2026 budget”, the figure is that year's amount.
  7. Not every possible measure is included in this exercise, and the amounts are estimates. Missing a measure or have a better source? Email contact@budgetcuts.brussels.
What does this game leave out?
What is on the table at the conclave?

What the press reports ahead of the budget conclave of 3 to 5 October 2026. Nothing has been decided yet.

· My plan

Result

My 2027 budget

Where does the money come from?

Who contributes?

Total of savings and extra revenue per group that is mainly affected.

You and the Government, by component

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