The key facts

  • The Irish presidency proposed cutting Global Europe by 17.4%; EU leaders largely rejected this at last year's summit
  • The letter was signed by Kaja Kallas, Marta Kos, Dubravka Šuica, Jozef Síkela and Hadja Lahbib
  • António Costa will present a new compromise ahead of the special summit on 26 November

Commissioners Against Cuts

Five European commissioners responsible for the EU's external action have spoken out against the proposed cuts to the budget of the Global Europe instrument, warning that funding must match the bloc's global ambitions. 'Without sufficient resources, the EU risks losing influence on the world stage and becoming more vulnerable to external factors,' the letter, seen by Euronews, says. The authors note that the global situation has changed dramatically in recent years.

Addressees and Context

The letter is addressed to the leading Members of the European Parliament on the instrument — Michael Gahler (Germany/EPP) and Robert Biedroń (Poland/S&D) — in response to a proposal by the Irish presidency of the EU Council to cut the programme by 17.4%. The letter is signed by the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, as well as commissioners Marta Kos (enlargement), Dubravka Šuica (Mediterranean), Jozef Síkela (international partnerships) and Hadja Lahbib (preparedness and crisis management).

Arguments of the Letter

The commissioners stress that the Commission proposed an ambitious Global Europe budget, necessary for pre-accession support, the promotion of the interests of the EU and partner countries, strengthening partnerships, protecting values and responding to crises. Cutting funding, in their view, could have serious consequences for security, stability, prosperity and migration, and could also weaken the bloc's ability to build mutually beneficial partnerships.

Declining Aid and Enlargement

The letter points to a steady decline in development aid volumes from EU countries and major donors such as the United States, which, in the authors' view, risks leaving gaps in partner countries with potentially severe consequences. Enlargement also requires sufficient resources: pre-accession support 'needs adequate funding so that complex reforms are worth the political cost for governments'.

Regions and Global Role

The region from North Africa to the Middle East and the Persian Gulf is named as key to the EU's security and prosperity, especially in matters of energy and migration. The commissioners also insist on preserving the EU's leading role in sub-Saharan Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America, where the bloc's presence strengthens stability, supply chain diversification and economic security. Without adequate resources, they warn, the EU's role as a defender of multilateralism, including in climate policy, will weaken, undermining its credibility.

Next Steps

EU leaders largely rejected the Irish proposal at the summit last Thursday. European Council President António Costa is expected to present a new compromise ahead of the special summit on 26 November, and the letter appears to be aimed at influencing its content. The commissioners also say an ambitious budget is important for countering new threats — information manipulation, hybrid attacks and insecurity at sea — while maintaining flexibility for rapid crisis response.