European Parliament Approves Nearly €200 Billion Budget For 2025

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

November 28, 2024

The European Parliament has officially approved the European Union’s 2025 budget, amounting to an impressive €199.4 billion. The budget reflects a 6% increase compared to 2024, showcasing the EU’s commitment to addressing key challenges and investing in its future.

Focused Investments

The budget prioritises programmes designed to enhance citizens’ quality of life, foster competitiveness, and address pressing challenges. Over €230 million has been added to key initiatives, including:

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“Erasmus+” Programme: An additional €422 million will support education, training, youth, and sports across the EU.
“Horizon Europe” Programme: A €20 million boost for scientific research and innovation.

Support for Strategic Goals and Crisis Management

Funding is allocated to Ukraine aid and critical technology investments through the Strategic Technology Platform for Europe (STEP).
Financial provisions for Next Generation EU interest payments are included.
Additional resources are set aside for natural disaster emergency aid and humanitarian crises, both within and beyond EU borders.

This ambitious budget underscores the EU’s strategic focus on fostering innovation, supporting education, and responding to global and regional challenges. By securing substantial funding increases across critical programmes, the EU aims to ensure sustainable growth and resilience in the face of uncertainty.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 24, 2026

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.

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