Welcome
Welcome to the Policy Hub of Global Citizen where you can learn more about our efforts to end extreme poverty and change our world for the better.
Our advocacy makes the case for a flourishing planet and a prosperous future for all, where everyone’s basic needs are fulfilled. Influencing policy worldwide is our core objective through which we address the climate crisis and work zealously to end hunger, empower women, provide education for children and healthcare for all, bolster job creation, and support youth worldwide in taking charge of their communities and lives. By connecting the dots, laying down the facts, presenting the consequential arguments, and tracking promises, we demonstrate what global leaders and changemakers need to do to create meaningful change and turn talk into action.
Connect with us and join our movement to end extreme poverty now!
Michael Sheldrick, Global Citizen Co-Founder and Chief Policy Officer
Our Latest Report
Breaking the Own Resources Deadlock: Six Options to Widen the Choice for the European Union's Next Budget
Global Citizen has commissioned a group of renowned economists and researchers to gather their Ideas on new ways to finance the EU budget and help create a route through the negotiations deadlock among Member States. The authors estimate their proposals could raise around €100 billion per year.
To sustain Europe’s ambitions at home and in the world, while repaying the debt taken on to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission has proposed a budget of almost €2 trillion, equivalent to 1.26% of EU Gross National Income (GNI).
Without additional sources of revenue — “own resources” beyond Member States’ GNI — the EU faces trade-offs between its internal and external priorities, which are increasingly difficult to separate from one another. The debate in the Council is at a stalemate. As EU leaders negotiate the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034, Global Citizen commissioned independent experts to gather ideas on new ways to finance the EU budget. Together, the authors estimate their proposals could raise around €100 billion per year:
- A European luxury surcharge: around €42 billion a year
- A one-off levy on large fortunes, spread over 30 years: around €26 billion
- A VAT on flights and a tax on vacant seats: around €10.5 billion
- A European digital services tax: around €6 billion
- A levy on digital advertising: around €10 billion
- A financial transactions tax: around €8.3 billion
These contributions are offered in the spirit of an open conversation. The options are real and varied, and they invite negotiators to look more widely as they work towards an agreement.
Breaking the Own Resources Deadlock: Six Options to Widen the Choice for the European Union's Next Budget
Global Citizen has commissioned a group of renowned economists and researchers to gather their Ideas on new ways to finance the EU budget and help create a route through the negotiations deadlock among Member States. The authors estimate their proposals could raise around €100 billion per year.
October 6, 2026