CEC European Managers Takes Active Role in EU Parliament Dialogue on Long-Term Budget and Citizen Engagement
The European Union is entering a crucial phase in shaping its future investment priorities.
CEC European Managers participated in the European Parliament’s Invest in What Matters event, held on 3–4 November 2025 in Brussels.
Organised by the EU Parliament’s DG COMM, the gathering brought together key institutional actors, civil society representatives and official communication partners of the Parliament to launch the public-facing phase of discussions around the EU’s next long-term budget — the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The participation of CEC European Managers reflects its role as a recognised EU Social Partner and an official communication partner of the Parliament, ensuring that Europe’s managerial community plays a visible role in bridging European policy and professional practice.
With members across national federations and sectors, CEC brings the voice of Europe’s leaders and managers directly into crucial debates on the future of the Union.
Communicating Europe’s Investment Priorities
The event centred on a fundamental question: how to keep citizens, workers, managers and social partners meaningfully engaged throughout the long MFF negotiation cycle.
Speakers emphasised that the upcoming MFF will shape the EU’s spending priorities from 2028 onwards, determining how Europe invests in competitiveness, innovation, defence, climate transition, and social cohesion.
CEC European Managers highlighted the unique role that managerial actors play as drivers of innovation, organisational change and workforce development.
As an organisation deeply rooted in European social dialogue, CEC European Managers stressed the importance of equipping professional communities with clear and accessible narratives on how EU investment translates into impact on the ground — in enterprises, workplaces, and local communities.
Communication on the MFF cannot be a single moment. It must be sustained, accessible and relevant across the entire negotiation period. The main communication challenge will be “to keep relevance.”
Ensuring Relevance Over a Long Negotiation Horizon
With negotiations expected to continue until 2027, participants recognised the challenge of keeping the MFF debate alive in the public sphere while avoiding fatigue and technical detachment.
CEC European Managers raised concerns about the risk of communication losing momentum as discussions deepen into complex budgetary structures.
CEC stressed that communication efforts must remain engaging throughout, especially as the outcome of the MFF will directly shape major programmes — including the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and green and digital transformation instruments — that have a tangible impact on the European workforce and leadership landscape.
Preserving the efficiency and stability of EU programmes will be key. Restructuring proposals beyond what’s necessary could weaken targeted funding streams or dilute European added value.
Managers Ready to Contribute Solutions
The Brussels discussions reinforced that Europe’s future competitiveness and social cohesion depend not only on financial planning, but on the capacity to bring together employers, managers, trade unions, and institutions.
CEC European Managers reaffirmed that managers stand ready to contribute pragmatic solutions to ensure that EU funds support a modern, skilled workforce, sustainable productivity and strategic autonomy.
To remain globally competitive and socially fair, we must protect our social model, key funds, and reinforce social dialogue as a strategic asset.
Deepening Partnership with EU Institutions
During the event, DG COMM confirmed that recognised communication partners such as CEC European Managers will continue to be involved in key communication initiatives, including future thematic workshops and the upcoming EU Affairs Communication Academy.
These initiatives will bring together institutional communicators, social partners and civil society actors to strengthen public engagement around Europe’s evolving priorities.
CEC welcomed this continued collaboration, recognising its mutual value: institutions benefit from the managerial community’s reach and expertise, while managers gain greater access to high-level information and strategic insight into Europe’s policy direction.
Understanding the Multiannual Financial Framework
The Multiannual Financial Framework is the European Union’s long-term budgetary framework, typically spanning seven years.
It sets spending priorities and maximum budget allocations across all EU policy fields and provides financial stability and predictability for long-term programmes.
The current MFF runs from 2021 to 2027; the next cycle will begin on 1 January 2028.
More than a financial document, the MFF reflects Europe’s political choices — defining what Europe invests in, how resources are shared, and how the EU responds to global challenges and opportunities.
It requires unanimous approval by Member States and the consent of the European Parliament, making it one of the most consequential and collaborative processes in the EU’s institutional architecture.
A Shared European Responsibility
CEC European Managers is committed to playing an active role in the public debate — ensuring that the perspective of Europe’s leadership community remains central.
CEC stands ready to support a transparent, inclusive, and long-term communication process — ensuring that the MFF remains a collective European vision grounded in dialogue, competence, and societal engagement.
