Athens: Greece has put a European Spectrum Union on the table as a way to raise money for the EU budget from future 6G auctions, and the idea survived the leaders’ summit of 15 and 16 October 2026 without a decision. The plan could raise roughly 12 to 15 billion euros, although the proposal itself calls that figure a planning assumption and not an official valuation.

Under the European Spectrum Union, member states would keep running their 6G spectrum auctions at national level. A share of the proceeds would then flow into a common European mechanism that finances strategic technologies and digital infrastructure. The scheme excludes any future revenue from selected 5G rights, and it aims to reduce the need for other new EU budget resources.

Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Greece’s finance minister and Eurogroup president, drew up the idea and first floated it in July. Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou presented it to the General Affairs Council on 22 September. Ireland, which chairs the Council, had to seek unanimous backing before the October summit, because any decision on the budget needs the agreement of all 27 member states.

The European Spectrum Union competes with a long list of own resource options for the 2028-2034 budget. Other ideas include a share of emissions trading auction revenue, income from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and levies on tobacco, electronic waste, digital services, online gambling, extreme wealth and crypto capital gains. None has won agreement so far.

The summit ended without a deal on the long-term budget or on energy. European Council President António Costa is now examining proposals that include levies on crypto firms, online gambling and large technology groups, and he is expected to table a new proposal in the coming weeks. The European Spectrum Union remains one of several options under discussion.

Politics around the budget remain tense. Germany, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Austria have called for a smaller increase in the next budget, while others insist on a deal by the end of the year. Leaders plan a special summit on 26 and 27 November, and they aim for a final round at the European Council on 17 and 18 December.

For telecom operators, the plan raises a practical question. A pooled share of auction proceeds could change how governments price licences and how much money they keep at home. Supporters see a fair way to fund shared digital priorities, while sceptics may worry about giving up national revenue. The next tests are Costa’s new proposal and the November summit, where the European Spectrum Union will either gain support or fade.