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“We have entered an era of growing challenges from climate driven instability and global migration pressures to rising competition over critical raw materials, global influence and market access,” Jozef Sikela, European commissioner for international partnerships, said, during a presentation on the external action budget on Thursday.
The budget for external action is part of the €2 trillion announced on Wednesday by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, said the EU hoped to extend its influence through the external action budget, adding: “Global Europe empowers us to be a player, not just a payer.”
The enlargement and neighbourhood policy — which has become geostrategic for the European Union — sees its funding increased by 37% to €42.6 billion. It should help candidate countries accelerate their reforms, the Commission said.
“Accession talks with Montenegro, Albania, Moldova and Ukraine have never progressed faster,” Marta Kos, European commissioner for enlargement said.
The €100 billion earmarked for Ukraine targets reforms and reconstruction.
“Whoever thought European support would weaken over time was wrong. Time is really not on Russia’s side,” Kos added.
Of the total fund €42 billion has been earmarked for the Mediterranean region, including EU southern neighbours in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf, designed to shape migration policy.
“We will enhance investments in security and safe borders to better control smuggling and illegal migration,” Šuica said, adding: “But we will also develop legal pathways for migration.”
The EU pact on migration and asylum adopted in 2024 includes “talent partnerships” with Egypt, Tunisia and Marocco to promote legal migration.
“We need people to fill in the labour shortages in the European market, but at the same time we will fight strongly against illegal migration and against smugglers,” Šuica said.
