CEPS's Emerson: Ukraine and the EU Budget – A Tale of Two Narratives

22 December 2023

The manageable versus the alarmist

The question of the costs to the EU budget of Ukraine’s accession has now risen to the top of the political agenda. Two estimates are in circulation – that of the author suggesting that the costs, while important, should prove manageable, especially over the time horizon to the 2040s when only by then will the full costs be met. Another estimate from a confidential (but leaked) document drawn up by the Council secretariat cites much higher amounts, which seem to be exaggerated and alarmist.

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