Concord’s AidWatch Report 2026 Launch
We hosted CONCORD Europe in Brussels for the presentation of their annual AidWatch report. The event addressed a crucial analytical question facing European development policy: how to balance geopolitical objectives and economic self-interest with the EU Treaty mandate to reduce poverty and inequality. As public budgets across Member States face tightening fiscal constraints, the role of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and highly concessional public finance is undergoing significant structural reassessment ahead of the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework negotiations.
While recent EU external action has expanded the use of blended finance, guarantees, and de-risking mechanisms, commercial capital consistently bypasses sectors with high societal returns but low short-term financial yields. Grant-based public funding remains irreplaceable in areas such as basic health, education, and social protection, particularly within Least Developed Countries and fragile settings. The debate focused on how traditional ODA and newer financial instruments can complement each other within the international finance architecture without diluting the core objectives of EU development cooperation.
Following opening remarks by CONCORD Director Tanya Cox and ETTG Director Iliana Olivié, Oxfam International Head of EU Advocacy Cristina Fernández-Durán Gortázar presented the key findings of the AidWatch report.
The panel discussion brought together diverse institutional and policy perspectives to examine budget allocation criteria, private sector alignment, and metrics tracked under the TOSSD framework. The panel featured Luc Bagur from DG INTPA at the European Commission, Charlotte Vernier from the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the EU, Oyebisi Babatunde Oluseyi from the Nigeria Network of NGOs, Camilo Gamba from the OECD TOSSD Secretariat, and Julia Jasinska from Nokia. Together, participants evaluated how public finance can be targeted most effectively to address structural inequalities while navigating a shifting global landscape.
Explore the full report: https://bit.ly/4diN2sC
