European Green Deal needs to deliver on global challenges

(EurActiv, 18 Nov 2020) Key elements of the EU’s foreign policy funding will be finalised during ‘trilogue’ talks this week. Raising the climate spending target there could make a vital difference to supporting partner countries to deliver green recovery plans, writes Rachel Simon.

Rachel Simon is the climate and development policy coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.

The next EU budget will have a new instrument through which the EU will deliver much of its support to partner countries, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI).

If designed right, this instrument has the potential to support the EU’s partner countries to implement green recovery plans, enhanced climate and biodiversity plans, and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals.

But in their agreement on the EU budget and recovery package last week, the Council and the Parliament chose to sideline external action, sending an alarming signal about European solidarity with the rest of the world.

An extra €1 billion proposed for the NDICI would come from reflows in the current budget period – not new money. This would hamper the EU’s ability to tackle the global crises and challenges hitting developing countries the hardest, including the rise in extreme poverty and inequality, the climate emergency, biodiversity crisis, gender-based discrimination and violence.

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EurActiv, 18 Nov 2020: European Green Deal needs to deliver on global challenges