In September 2025, EPLO released its official statement accompanied by the brief on the European Commission’s proposal for a new Global Europe regulation. The focus of this contribution is clear: the European Union must continue to invest in conflict prevention and peacebuilding (CP-PB) beyond 2027. EPLO welcomes the Commission’s ambition to increase resources for external action but stresses the importance of ring-fencing specific funding for peace. This call responds not only to the EU’s legal and moral commitments, but also to urgent global realities: record levels of violent conflict, rising forced displacement, and the mounting economic costs of violence.
This statement underlines that preventing conflict is both a strategic and economic necessity. Strategically, the EU cannot remain a credible global actor if it reduces its engagement in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. Economically, prevention is far more cost-effective than reaction: every euro invested in peacebuilding saves sixteen euros in conflict costs. With conflicts driving forced displacement, and fuelling instability, the EU has a direct interest in supporting sustainable peace.
To achieve this, EPLO puts forward clear recommendations to EU co-legislators. These include: allocating at least €15 billion to the global pillar of Global Europe; earmarking 50% of the funds under the “peace, security, stability and response to crises” objective for CP-PB; restoring conflict and gender sensitivity as requirements across all programmes; and ensuring stronger support for civil society, particularly women’s rights and locally led organisations. EPLO also calls for mainstreaming peace objectives across geographic pillars and for reinforcing disarmament, reconciliation, and peace education efforts. Only with these measures the EU can continue to deliver on its mandate for peace and stability.
