Annual EU Budget Conference 2026 – Boost Europe: Leveraging the EU Budget for strategic priorities

Register now for the Annual EU Budget Conference on 2 July 2026! Stay tuned toour newsletterto receive the latest information on the conference

The European Union budget is essential for delivering on Union priorities. It reinforces the Union policy action and serves as a powerful catalyst for private investment. 

The conference will examine how to better leverage the EU budget to increase policy impact and mobilise additional financial redministration, Piotr Serafin, will bring together many esteemed speakers, including Heads of State, Ministers, Members of the European Parliament, regional representatives, CEOs, and stakeholders from the capital markets and real economy.  

Together, they will lead an open and insightful debate on: 

• How can the EU budget strengthen Europe’s role as a global leader for prosperity? 

• How should the EU budget support Europe’s long-term strategic planning whilst facing evolving crises? 

• Which investments can drive Europe’s competitiveness and growth? 

• How can the EU budget build powerful, mutually beneficial partnerships worldwide? 

• How can the EU budget foster growth and resilience in Europe in support of the monetary union? 

• What tools can the EU budget offer for the development of the savings and investments union? 

Please note that the conference will be held in English, with interpretation. 

Reserve your spot before the deadline: registration closes on 17 June at 18:00 CEST.  

As a first step before submitting your registration, the system will prompt you to log-in on EU Login, or create an account. You will then be able to register. 

Registration period ended on Wednesday 17 June 2026, 18:00 (CEST)

• EU budget
• Thursday 2 July 2026, 07:30 – 19:00 (CEST)
• Brussels, Belgium
• Live streaming available

Programme

1. 2 Jul 2026, 07:30 – 09:00 (CEST)
   Security checks, registration and welcome coffee
2. 09:00 – 09:10 (CEST)
   Welcome remarks

   Piotr Serafin, EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, European Commission 

3. 09:10 – 09:25 (CEST)
   Keynote speech: “Growing Together: How the EU Budget Supports the Euro”

   Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Eurogroup President; Greek Minister of Economy and Finance 

4. 09:25 – 09:45 (CEST)
   Keynote speech: “The EU Budget as a Global Force for Peace and Prosperity”

   Alexander De Croo, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme; Under-Secretary-General, United Nations

5. 09:45 – 11:00 (CEST)
   Panel discussion (1): “Building powerful international partnerships through the EU Budget”

   Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister, Government of Montenegro 

   Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, European Commission 

   Gallina Andronova Vincelette, Vice-President for Operations Policy and Country Services, World Bank 

   Nathalie Tocci,  Professor, John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies 

6. 11:00 – 11:30 (CEST)
   Coffee break
7. 11:30 – 11:45 (CEST)
   Fireside chat “3 Questions to …”

   Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, European Commission 

8. 11:45 – 12:15 (CEST)
   In conversation with … “Real economy: Should the EU Budget have more independent sources of financing?”

   Danuše Nerudová, Member, European Parliament 

   Frank Engels, Member of the Executive Board, Union Investment 

9. 12:15 – 13:45 (CEST)
   Lunch break
10. 13:45 – 14:00 (CEST)
    TED-style talk: “From shock to strategy: the EU at the centre of change”

    Marc De Vos, co-CEO, Itinera Institute; Professor of labour and employment law, Ghent University

11. 14:00 – 14:20 (CEST)
    Fireside chat “3 Questions to …”

    Nadia Calviño, President, European Investment Bank Group (EIB, EIF) 

12. 14:20 – 14:35 (CEST)
    Keynote speech: ”Competitiveness as Europe’s Growth Engine”

    Atanas Pekanov,Deputy Prime Minister, Bulgaria

13. 14:35 – 15:50 (CEST)
    Panel discussion (2): “Unlocking Europe’s competitive edge”

    Marta Postuła,First Vice President of the Management Board, BGK  

    Miguel Forteza Garau, CFO, Indra Group

    Hermann Hauser, co-founder, Amadeus Capital Partners Limited  

    Vasileios Tsianos, Senior Vice President, Neo Performance Materials 

14. 15:50 – 16:30 (CEST)
    Coffee break
15. 16:30 – 17:45 (CEST)
    Panel discussion (3): “Building Europe’s Savings and Investments Union: the role of the EU Budget”

    Stéphanie Riso,Director-General for Budget, European Commission  

    Oya Celasun,Deputy Director, European Department, International Monetary Fund 

    Johannes Lindner, Head of the Division for EU Institutions & Fora, European Central Bank (ECB) 

    Guntram B. Wolff, Senior Fellow, Bruegel; Professor of economics, Université libre de Bruxelles 

16. 17:45 – 18:00 (CEST)
    Closing remarks

    Stéphanie Riso, Director-General for Budget, European Commission

17. 18:00 – 19:00 (CEST)
    Networking drink

Speakers

EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration
Piotr SerafinCommissioner
Prime Minister, Government of Montenegro
Milojko Spajić
Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Bulgaria
Atanas Pekanov
EU Commissioner for Enlargement
Marta KosCommissioner
EU Commissioner for Defence and Space
Andrius KubiliusCommissioner
Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Alexander De Croo
President of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB, EIF)
Nadia Calviño
President of the Eurogroup and Greek Minister of Economy and Finance
Kyriakos Pierrakakis
Vice-President for Operations Policy and Country Services, World Bank Group
Gallina Andronova Vincelette
Professor, John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
Nathalie Tocci
European Parliament
Danuše Nerudová
Member of the Executive Board / CIO, Union Investment
Frank Engels
co-CEO, Itinera Institute; Professor of Social and European law, Ghent University
Marc De Vos
First Vice President of the Management Board, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego – BGK
Marta Postuła
CFO, Indra Group
Miguel Forteza
Co-founder & Venture Partner, Amadeus Capital Partners
Hermann Hauser
Senior Vice President / President, Neo Performance Materials / EU Chamber of Commerce in Canada
Vasileios Tsianos
Director-General for Budget, European Commission
Stéphanie RisoDirector-General
Deputy Director, European Department, International Monetary Fund
Oya Celasun
Head of the Division for EU Institutions & Fora, European Central Bank (ECB)
Johannes Lindner
Senior Fellow / Professor of Economics, Bruegel / Université libre de Bruxelles
Guntram B. Wolff
Chief Anchor, Euronews
Méabh Mc Mahon
EU Correspondent, Financial Times
Paola Tamma
Senior Competition Correspondent, POLITICO
Francesca Micheletti
News Reporter, Bloomberg
Jorge Valero Galarreta

Practical information

When
Thursday 2 July 2026, 07:30 – 19:00 (CEST)
Where
De Gasperi room (Charlemagne building)
Wetstraat 170 Rue de la Loi, 1049 Brussels, Belgium
Livestream
Starts on Thursday 2 July 2026, 08:45 (CEST)
Languages
English
Organisers
Directorate-General for Budget
Social media links

Contacts

General contact

Email
EC-ANNUAL-BUDG-CONFERENCE
ec[dot]europa[dot]eu

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