The EU's Financial Instrument for Development

EU development assistance and other policy expenditures are determined every seven years in framework budget reviews called the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). This is equivalent to a national government undergoing a spending review for all areas of public expenditure. All aspects of the EU budget are up for negotiation, including how much, what for and the spending rules. The blog series follows this process over the last three years with a specific focus on the EU’s development portfolio, providing a critical analysis of the challenges at each stage of the negotiations.

More from the Series

Blog Post
Redesigning Global Europe: The EU’s Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument
Mikaela Gavas
and
Samuel Pleeck
March 30, 2021
EU member states and the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development Committees finally approved the new Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)—Global Europe. The instrument, worth €79.5 billion over the period 2021-2027, marks a profound transformati...
Blog Post
The EU’s New Budget: Europe’s Recovery at The Expense of Its Long- Term Ambitions
Anita Käppeli
and
Mikaela Gavas
July 27, 2020
After a four day marathon run of negotiations, the 27 Heads of State of the EU reached an agreement on both the Recovery Fund—a large fund to support the post-COVID recovery across the EU—and its new long-term budget and priorities, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027. While leaders ...
Blog Post
The EU’s Recovery Budget: How Prominent is International Development?
Mikaela Gavas
and
Anita Käppeli
June 02, 2020
Last week, the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her new proposal for a post-COVID-19 economic Recovery Fund, alongside the EU’s future priorities and budget. But what do the proposals mean for Europe’s role on the international stage?
Blog Post
A Budget Fit for the Future? Breaking Down the EU’s External Actions Proposals for the Next MFF
Mikaela Gavas
June 19, 2018
After weeks of speculation, the European Commission has published the details of its proposed radical reconfiguration of EU external actions instruments for the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Digging into the details, while value-add is the mantra, what’s missing is a dis...
Blog Post
The EU’s Answer to Migration Is to Triple Funding for Border Management. Will This Do the Job?
Anita Käppeli
June 15, 2018
Earlier this week, the European Commission published its proposals on migration and border security for the next EU budget (2021–2027). Financial support for migration, asylum, and border management is to almost triple, from €13 billion to €34.9 billion. What might this mean for the EU and future mi...
Blog Post
What the EU Budget Means for Developing Countries: Agriculture and Development
Ian Mitchell
May 30, 2018
Three weeks ago, the European Commission published its initial proposal for the EU’s budget from 2021 to 2027. The headlines? Overall spending would rise despite the loss of the UK, and development spending and ‘external action’ could see increases. But both agriculture and regional spending would b...
Blog Post
Development Cooperation Has Emerged a Winner in the EU’s 2021-2027 Budget Proposal, but the Odds Are Stacked against It
Mikaela Gavas
May 04, 2018
The long-awaited European Commission Communication on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027—the EU’s long-term budget—has been unveiled, and so begins the EU’s big battle over money and priorities. Brace yourselves for a long arduous struggle that will expose divisions in the...