In May 2026, EU Member States reached a Partial General Approach (PGA) on the Global Europe Instrument (GEI), laying down their negotiating position ahead of discussions with the European Parliament. The approach is deemed ‘partial’ because it excludes financial allocations and horizontal issues that are currently being discussed as part of the MFF regulation negotiations.
GHA analysed the PGA to assess where Council made the most relevant modifications, from a Global Health lens. While we celebrate the addition of some positive elements, which have improved the European Commission’s original proposal, some key aspects are still undecided, while others could be further improved to ensure that the EU truly equips itself to fulfil its ambition of being a Global Health leader as expressed by President von der Leyen in her 2025 State of the Union speech.
🟢 Recommitment and strengthened language on poverty eradication and sustainable development.
🟢 Explicit inclusion of global health as an objective of the GEI
🟢 Improved governance and increased accountability
🟡 There is still an uneven balance between flexibility and predictability.
🟡 No agreement on the amount of GEI funding that should fulfil OECD DAC ODA criteria.
🟡 No agreement on decommitments and carry-overs.
🟡 The humanitarian aid budget was not earmarked, but its principles were elevated
🔴 Lack of inclusion of a human development target.
🔴 Funding for the different pillars is still only indicative.
🔴 Strengthened language on EU competitiveness and increased promotion of EU private sector
Next steps
The partial nature of the PGA means negotiations on contentious elements, including targets and budget allocation, are still ongoing. In June, the Cypriot Presidency put forward a negobox proposing a 2% cut in the overall MFF budget, and a disproportional cut of 4% to the Global Europe Instrument. EU external action should not be the go-to heading for budget cuts. We call on the Irish Presidency to reject this approach when updating the negobox ahead of the next European Council meeting in October. A robust external action budget is essential for the EU to uphold its global responsibilities and fulfil its ambitions. Maintaining the Commission proposal of €200.3 billion (current prices) as the bare minimum is therefore crucial.
The Parliament, on the other hand, is still finalising its position on the GEI, and MEPs have the opportunity to reach an agreement that prioritises human development, including global health. Members of the Development and Foreign Affairs Committees (DEVE & AFET) are now negotiating key amendments ahead of their joint committees’ vote planned for 19 October, followed by Plenary vote scheduled for the week of 23 November. When it comes to the overall budget, the EP positioned itself back in April, calling for an increase in the GEI budget allocation to €225 billion (current prices), which we applaud.
As the Council and the European Parliament finalise their positions ahead of trilogue negotiations, we call on them to consider the key points above to reach an agreement that prioritises Global Health and fosters truly mutually beneficial partnerships that support partner countries in achieving their own objectives.
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