European Union

The leaders of the governing coalition in Berlin have agreed on a comprehensive reform package. The 34 measures in areas such as taxation, the pension system, labour law, innovation and red-tape reduction are intended to boost the economy and stabilise German society. "We want to get Germany back on its feet," stressed Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The media take stock.

The US will celebrate the 250th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from Britain on Saturday, 4 July. In particular since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in office, the global power's standing in Europe has diminished, as a glance at the commentaries confirms.

France will elect a new president next spring. More than 30 candidates have already thrown their hats into the ring to succeed Emmanuel Macron. Commentators point to the risks that such a panoply of contenders and proposed policies poses.

This ETTG policy brief analyses the state of play of EU funding to and cooperation with the United Nations system, before considering future possibilities and challenges in relation to the ongoing negotiations of the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF, 2028–34), notably the Global Europe Instrument. Although neither the MFF nor the Global Europe Instrument Regulation are expected to include concrete provisions on EU funding to the UN system, they frame the political priorities and define legal boundaries and criteria through which the EU will shape its programming and select its implementation partners. Through these parameters, the question is whether the new MFF will operationalise and ensure the Union’s strategic defence of multilateralism and partnership with the UN, alone and through Team Europe, or if the new rules instead result in a de-facto reduction of the EU’s political and financial support to the UN system.

This ETTG policy brief analyses the state of play of EU funding to and cooperation with the United Nations system, before considering future possibilities and challenges in relation to the ongoing negotiations of the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF, 2028–34), notably the Global Europe Instrument. Although neither the MFF nor the Global Europe Instrument Regulation are expected to include concrete provisions on EU funding to the UN system, they frame the political priorities and define legal boundaries and criteria through which the EU will shape its programming and select its implementation partners. Through these parameters, the question is whether the new MFF will operationalise and ensure the Union’s strategic defence of multilateralism and partnership with the UN, alone and through Team Europe, or if the new rules instead result in a de-facto reduction of the EU’s political and financial support to the UN system.

Since 1993, the Sámi have been the only recognized Indigenous people within the European Union. However, their official engagement with European politics has been limited. This has recently begun to change, as the EU’s ongoing Arctic pivot has drawn Sámi political actors to Brussels. Using the English School approach, this case study traces the evolution of Sámi–EU relations from the early 1990s to the present to explore and analysis the mechanisms of engagement the Sámi have used to gain access to high-level European decision-making and what the EU itself should hope to gain through stronger ties with this Indigenous people. The analysis of these events reveals a growing political relationship between the Sámi and the EU. However, shifting political conditions and the absence of a formal European-level framework for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights, constrain the potential for more equitable relations both within the European sphere and Arctic.