We had the pleasure to co-host, alongside the EADI Working Group on the EU as a Development Actor and the College of Europe, an academic/practitioner seminar titled “Directions of EU Development Policy under von der Leyen II” in Natolin, Poland, on October 7th.
This seminar, organised in collaboration with Sebastian Steingass from the College of Europe, Maria Santillรกn O’shea (Royal Institute Elcano) and Niels Keijzer (IDOS) provided a platform for in-depth discussions on the evolving landscape of EU development cooperation.
ETTG coordinator Daniele Fattibene offered welcome remarks. The event examined the shift towards a more geostrategic approach under the first von der Leyen Commission and explored the future direction of policy under the second Commission, particularly concerning the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF 2028-2034) and the Global Gateway strategy.
Participants, including researchers, civil society representatives, and students, engaged in an informal and open exchange, addressing the impact of global political changes on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Inputs from Maria Santillรกn O’shea (Elcano Royal Institute) Niels Keijzer (IDOS), Sebastian Steingass (College of Europe) Jan Bazyl (Grupa Zagranica) & Patryk Kugiel (PISM) sparked discussions on key policy elements and the influence of the European Parliament, while also examining development policy trends in key member states like Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands.
