Conflicts are on the rise, yet funding for non-military means to prevent them and build peace is at an all-time low.
EPLO publishes its reaction to the European Commission’s proposal for the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). We welcome the proposed increase in external action funding, but an increase in the overall envelope does not guarantee that conflict prevention and peacebuilding (CP-PB) will be sufficiently resourced if its funding is not ring-fenced within Global Europe.
CP-PB funding already equates to a fraction of military spending, yet yields remarkable outcomes for peace and human security. Cuts in this area are not just a missed opportunity, they are counterproductive.
Our reaction raises three core concerns: the need to balance flexibility with predictability in funding; the risk that far-reaching mergers in external action dilute CP-PB priorities; and the impact of a shrinking EU Delegation presence on the ground. We call on the EU to ring-fence CP-PB funding, mainstream peace and conflict prevention across geographic pillars, and maintain its commitments to conflict and gender sensitivity across all external action.
Download the full reaction below.
For EPLO’s broader recommendations on the post-2027 MFF, see our MFF Statement adopted by 50+ member organisations in February 2025.
