What is the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)?

The MFF – or Multiannual Financial Framework – is the overall EU budget for every seven-year period, setting out funding for the EU’s major programmes.

The MFF is funded mostly by direct contributions from member states, although some pay in more than they receive from EU programmes and vice versa – these are known as net contributors and net recipients respectively.

The amount each member state contributes is largely based on the size of its economy, with larger members paying more than smaller ones.

The current MFF, amounting to €1.2 trillion, is running from 2021 to 2027. It is accompanied by the temporary Covid-19 recovery instrument NextGenerationEU – an additional €806.9 billion – raising the total funding to €2.018 trillion.