As negotiations on the European Union’s next MFF begin to take shape, the strategic direction of EU external financing carries profound implications for the global multilateral architecture.
To examine these dynamics, alongside our member IDOS, we convened a roundtable discussion in Brussels. The session brought together over 35 high-level representatives from UN agencies, the European Commission (DG INTPA), the European External Action Service, the European Parliament (DEVE/AFET), the Council, and leading independent research institutions.
The discussion focused on the structural and geopolitical trade-offs inherent in the upcoming budget cycle. To ground the debate in actionable policy alternatives, we circulated a draft Policy Brief outlining three to four distinct scenarios for the MFF negotiations. Each scenario maps out a different trajectory for EU-UN financial cooperation, assessing how variations in funding mechanisms, thematic priorities, and budgetary constraints could reshape global multilateral governance.
A brief feeding from the discussions will follow in the coming weeks.
Pictures authored by Jonathan Hunter (ECDPM)
