On June 24th, 2025, ETTG had the pleasure to convene a high level dialogue at the European Parliament, co-hosted with MEP Barry Andrews with moderation by Shirin Wheeler and Daniele Fattibene.
The ETTG dialogue, opened by Iliana Olivié, European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno and DEVE Committee Chair Barry Andrews MEP, was anchored by a compelling conversation between EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela and Bill Gates.
This, along with a dynamic panel featuring Ahunna Eziakonwa, Barry Andrews MEP, Samaila Zubairu and Margarita Gómez brought several urgent priorities to the forefront.
Faced with shrinking aid budgets and a world of converging crises, the central question was clear: how does the EU forge a new path for global development?
Some of the key takeaways include:
- 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 & 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: In a contested world, there was a clear consensus on the need to move beyond traditional aid. Strengthening partnerships with the private sector, philanthropy, and civil society is essential to fill the SDG financing gap and deliver global public goods.
- 𝗔 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗨: As other global actors may scale back, the EU has an opportunity to reinforce its position as a stable and reliable partner.). The EU’s approach to development must balance flexibility for crises with the predictability its partners depend on.
- 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗗𝗔 & 𝗗𝗲-𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: The conversation shifted from just the quantity of aid to its quality. Key strategies could include using public funds to de-risk and unlock private investment in fragile countries and better coordinating EU instruments like Global Gateway to maximize impact.
- U𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺: A powerful message emerged on the need for immediate and bold action to reform the global development architecture, making it more resilient, equitable, and fit for the interconnected challenges of today, from climate change to future pandemics.
A warm thank you to the wonderful Barry Andrews MEP team for their support and efforts to co-host this event.
