Spain defends that European cooperation should be based on values, with the 2030 Agenda as an unrenounceable roadmap, and that this should be reflected in the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, according to the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Eva Granados.
During the meeting of the Council of Foreign Affairs of Development (CAE-DES) of the European Union, dedicated to development cooperation, Granados also advocated for a Global Europe instrument that “complements geopolitical ambition with a real impact on sustainable development,” adds the Foreign Affairs press release.
The Secretary of State also presented, at the Permanent Mission of Spain to the European Union, “the renewed model of Spanish Cooperation and its contribution to the architecture of the future Global Europe instrument.”
During the event, called “A Renewed Spanish Cooperation for a Stronger Team Europe,” Granados argued that “the Global Gateway and the Global Europe instrument must combine geopolitical vision with a real impact on development, with the 2030 Agenda as a horizon and with partner countries as protagonists,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release that, however, does not provide details on the amounts that should be committed in this budget item.
The presentation took place before the main institutions of the European Union, with the participation of representatives such as the Director General of International Partnerships of the European Commission or the Director for the Americas of the European External Action Service, in a high-level event that included the participation of the directors of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the International Foundation for Ibero-American Administration and Public Policies (FIAP), and the Carolina Foundation.
During the day, the Director General of Development Policy of the European Commission, Koen Doens, also spoke, describing a shift in European cooperation “from a policy of charity and solidarity to a policy where we look at where the interests of our partners overlap with ours.”
The Secretary of State stated that Spain is the fourth EU member state in delegated cooperation management, having managed over 300 million euros in European funds through AECID and FIAP between 2021 and 2023. She also highlighted the creation of the Spanish Fund for Sustainable Development (FEDES), the financial instrument that allows for the combination of public and private resources to enhance the impact of Spanish cooperation in alignment with European mechanisms.
Granados also emphasized that, in a context of 26% drop in Official Development Assistance (ODA) globally in 2025 according to OECD data, Spain has increased this aid by 13%, establishing itself as a reliable, committed, and strategic partner for the cooperation architecture of the European Union.