Ireland to unveil bold EU tax package as multi-year budget talks heat up
Ireland, chairing the EU's 2028-2034 budget negotiations, will present a draft that includes a wide-ranging set of new own-resource taxes.
As the EU finalises its long-term budget for 2028-2034, Ireland is steering the member-state talks and plans to release a comprehensive draft of new own-resource taxes. Thomas Byrne, Ireland's minister for European affairs, described the proposal as "ambitious" and said it will be circulated before mid-October, ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels. The package includes measures such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a parcel handling fee, online gambling levy, tobacco excise, the Corporate Resource for Europe, e-waste charges, an ETS extension, a digital levy and a crypto-asset tax.
Negotiations have split the 27 states into a “Friends of Cohesion” bloc protecting regional funding and a “frugal” group pushing cuts and questioning the new taxes. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has voiced scepticism about the revenue plan. Byrne warned that missing a December agreement would damage Europe's credibility and affect beneficiaries from 2028 onward.
Why it matters
The outcome will shape EU financing, affecting member states' budgets and future policy priorities.
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