Joint Statement: A Joint Call for the EU to Ensure No One is Left Behind in the Next MFF

Alongside VOICE and EPLO, CONCORD signed a joint statement calling on the EU to ensure that no one is left behind in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), staying true to the EU’s core values and people-centred approach.

Fragile and conflict-affected states are home to 75% of the world’s most vulnerable and extremely poor people. The dismantling of USAID and budget cuts to external action by several EU Member States are compounding the effects of political instability, climate change, and ongoing conflict. As a result, humanitarian crises and fragility are deepening across multiple regions, reinforcing the urgent need for stronger EU engagement.

As we look to the next MFF, we urge the EU to:
Continue prioritising Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and those facing fragility and conflict within future development cooperation instruments.

• Protect humanitarian and development funding from being used for political or security purposes.
• Keep humanitarian, development, and peace instruments clearly distinct, to ensure effective and principled action.
• Strengthen support for civil society organisations, key partners in maintaining EU presence and impact in fragile contexts.

Now more than ever, we must put people at the centre of EU external action.