Brussels 5/6 February 2025
At the EU’s annual Ambassadors’ Conference, several EU Commissioners highlighted the interconnected nature of the world: whether through trade, integrated supply chains, capital flows or digital communication. Having published the speeches of António Costa and Ursula von Leyen, Insight EU now publishes the remarks of EU Commissioners Dubravka Šuica, Hadja Lahbib, Maroš Šefčovič, and Jozef Síkela.
***
Speech by Commissioner Šuica at the EU Ambassadors Conference – panel on the EU as a Global Actor and a Partner of Choice
“Check against delivery”
Dear Ambassadors,
It is a great honour and pleasure for me to be here at the Ambassadors Conference.
The title of this panel is very pertinent, and our debate could not take place at a better moment.
We have entered a new era of harsh geostrategic competition based on a transactional approach
Clearly, the rules of engagement are changing.
For us as European Union, engagement with countries across the world is not only an economic necessity. It is Europe’s response to rising global competition. We want more cooperation with all who are open for it. We are ready to engage on the basis of mutual interests.
We look at cooperation as a common vision and a search for mutual gains.
On this highly competitive world stage, the EU needs to prove that it can be an impactful global actor. And we want to be a first partner of choice to countries, starting from our neighbourhood.
It is in this spirit that the new portfolio of the Mediterranean came into being.
The creation of a new Directorate-General sends a clear message to our partners: you are a priority for the European Union and we are ready to deepen further our cooperation. This is going to address the unique opportunities and challenges of the region – bringing together the two shores of our shared Mare Nostrum and beyond.
Let me say that I am very happy that the new DG MENA has now been launched. I am grateful to Stefano, whom you all know very well, for his dedication, support and leadership in this challenging transition period.
I am looking forward to working with everyone in the DG MENA team and you ambassadors in achieving a strong EU footprint in the region and beyond.
We cannot not make it without you!
We are going to work for a future that strengthens our ties with the Mediterranean and the Gulf, and enhances prosperity, regional security, and collaboration.
The recent events in the Middle East – like the fall of the regime in Syria, or the ceasefire in Gaza – demonstrate the critical importance of the Mediterranean portfolio and its global impact.
The European Union wants to continue to be a credible and reliable partner in the region.
Let me briefly outline my vision and the priorities of my portfolio:
• Firstly, the New Pact for the Mediterranean which we will adopt later this year.
We will prepare it in close cooperation with our partners. I will reach out and listen to the stakeholders in designing the Pact.
The Pact will lay the foundation for stronger, mutually beneficial partnerships, grounded in shared aspirations, will forge a true partnership of equals.
Furthermore, the Pact will, for the first time, bring the MENA region and the Gulf region closer together. The triangular EU-MENA-Gulf cooperation is a strategic approach.
• Secondly, we will build opportunities for common growth in key areas through regional investment partnerships. This concerns the areas of trade, renewable energy, clean tech, digital and transport connectivity, and the blue economy.
We will also take the cultural dimension into consideration. From the protection of cultural heritage, including tourism opportunities, to museum cooperation. From university exchanges to cooperation among foundations.
We want to move ahead from old stereotypes.
We are players, not only payers.
And this brings me to my following point.
• Thirdly, I will bring closer the two parts of my portfolio, Mediterranean and demography by focusing on people-to-people relations, particularly supporting young people.
It is useful to keep in mind that, in the Southern Neighbourhood, 50% of the population is under the age of 24, many of whom are not in employment, education or training (NEETs).
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me turn to Patricia’s second question:
How do I see our role in the EU institutional set-up.
How do we work to ensure consistency, coherence, and a strong impact of EU foreign policy?
My reply is this: The whole-of-college approach and Team Europe.
My view of this new Commission is that we have a horizontal approach. There is a very clear objective of breaking the silos through a structure of collaboration and coordination.
This whole-of-College approach is both
- a very important task for our daily work,
- and a need to achieve our goals over a longer period.
Just look at the three of us on this panel, for example: With our specialist portfolios we all work closely with Kaja [Kallas] as our High Representative and Executive Vice-President.
Amongst the three respective portfolios Mediterranean, Preparedness and Crisis Management, and International Partnerships – we coordinate a lot among ourselves. And in practical terms, we indeed have interconnected roles, for instance in many countries of the Middle East.
But cooperation and coordination go much further: Trade, energy, digital transformation, the blue economy, migration – these are all EU policies which we want to include in the agreements with our partners.
We in the Commission must work together to deliver and be impactful.
The other pillar for successful cooperation is Team Europe. There is no single European Union institution that would run Europe’s foreign policy on its own.
On the contrary, we are in this together with a strong inter-institutional bearing. This enables us to promote consistency, coherence and efficiency of the European Union as a global actor.
The Member States also play an indispensable role in this. Strong collaboration with the Member States is crucial for our success. United we succeed.
Finally, we should not forget parliamentary diplomacy. You had a dedicated session over at the European Parliament on Tuesday night on this. And I believe I speak for the entire College when I say that the European Parliament plays a key role in our foreign policy, also through the legislative files.
Dear Ambassadors,
YOU all play a central role in our efforts.
As ambassadors in the EU Delegations, you are not only our eyes and ears, but also our brains and our hearts. And our voice on the ground.
Moreover, you are also our filter and connector on the ground.
A filter to ensure that respective messages pass in a clear yet also diplomatic and impactful way.
And a connector among European Union and its Member States on the ground ensuring valuable coordination at local level.
Your expertise and experience are indispensable for us. And so are your political reporting and your valuable recommendations. I have had the chance to exchange with several of you over the last months and I am looking forward to continuing these exchanges.
The playing-field we are operating on has become a lot tougher and globalised. There are anti-EU narratives from various players, and they seek to hamper our reputation and our track-record on the ground.
This is why I am working on a strategic communication plan [as per my mission letter] to promote the EU’s role in the Southern Neighbourhood and beyond.
Our visibility and image is not quite where it could or should be.
We want to be bolder on communicating what we do, why we do it, and on the beneficial impact of our actions.
You as ambassadors are of great help in this regard when engaging directly with local communities.
However, to further increase our visibility, we need the means.
Social media, for example, play an important role in the countries of northern Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf region.
The means available in the Delegations and in the Headquarters should reflect the reality of the challenges you are facing.
To conclude, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Mediterranean has a lot to offer.
To best achieve our foreign policy goals, we need both
- a sophisticated level of coordination at the Headquarters, and
- increased visibility on the ground.
As regards coordination, I am glad we have
- a solid structure for this in the current College and
- an excellent inter-institutional set-up in place as Team Europe.
As regards visibility, I count on the strong role of the Delegations and your expertise and valuable work on the ground
To live up to the needs in a world of robust geostrategic competition, we also need the means for impactful work and visibility on the ground.
Working closely together is key to ensuring the European Union is a strong global actor.
Unity is our force.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Speech by Commissioner Lahbib at the EU Ambassadors Conference 2025
“Check against delivery”
In today’s more dangerous world, the European Union is a power for peace and security. And I would argue, a power for more compassion and more humanity in the darkest corners. Compassion and humanity. This may not be the direction of the prevailing winds today, but we will not be blown off course. We will not be blown in the direction of fear and isolation. We will not withdraw into ourselves.
Our roots are anchored, strong and solid, in our convictions and values. Open to the world. This will never change, no matter how strong the winds of cynicism whipping across the planet.
The EU is a powerful and committed humanitarian actor across the world. I will make sure this continues. While others step back, the EU is stepping up our humanitarian commitment. This year we have increased our initial humanitarian aid budget to 1.9 billion euros. As Team Europe, we provide roughly one-third of global assistance.
But the needs are simply too great. Everyone in the international community must shoulder their responsibility. Everyone should do their part. The funding gap is getting bigger, leaving millions in need. The EU alone cannot fill this gap left by others.
Today I would like to focus on International Humanitarian Law and tackling global Fragility.
International Humanitarian Law is at the heart of our external action — in Ukraine, Syria, Gaza, Sudan, and in the DRC. Never before have we seen International Humanitarian Law so blatantly attacked, so disrespected, so cast into question.
Never before have we faced so many obstacles in helping the most vulnerable: shutting down access, killing humanitarian workers, attacking children and schools, and bombing hospitals. This must stop.
We must defend International Humanitarian Law with full force and step up humanitarian diplomacy to protect civilians, critical infrastructure, and humanitarian workers. International Humanitarian Law must be our guiding light. Always and everywhere. It is not àla carte — only to be respected when convenient or when it suits us.
It is your job — it is all our jobs — to be vigilant. To be on guard. To defend International Humanitarian Law whenever it is threatened. If we don’t do it, who will? It is our responsibility. It is our moral duty. And it is in our own interest.
Fragility has skyrocketed in countries across the world. Wars, political instability, and economic hardship are driving communities to their knees, making people more vulnerable to natural disasters, migration, or epidemics. In the EU, we are determined to tackle this.
We should therefore develop a comprehensive and integrated EU approach to confronting fragility across the world. Without delay. It is a top priority and more urgent than ever. Today over 300 million people around the world need humanitarian assistance. If this was the EU, it would be 2 out of 3 people. Yes, many of these crises start outside of Europe, but they have strong implications for the EU.
Climate change concerns us all. But low-income countries suffer more than developed ones. We all know the figures. Yet despite this, fragile countries and communities get less private investment and less climate finance. They also have problems in accessing development funding and maintaining the acquis of past development. This must change.
Politically isolated countries or regions, and those with protracted crises, are often left to humanitarian organisations alone. This is not sustainable or effective, and it is not the best use of our limited funds.
We need strong EU cooperation, coupled with a long-term vision, to be truly effective in tackling fragility. The sheer number of crises calls for a more united, strategic, and systematic approach — across all our policies, tools, and funding. And just as important, we need our Member States on board, working as one Team Europe.
Not acting also has a cost. Most dramatically, for the people and communities in dire humanitarian need. But not only. It also directly impacts our own security, risks such as radicalisation, terrorism, displacement, illegal migration, and human trafficking. Not acting also shifts the geopolitical balance, giving countries like Russia and China an opportunity to fill the void in our absence.
In recent weeks, I visited Ukraine, Syria, Jordan and Türkiye. I saw with my own eyes the impact of EU humanitarian aid in the life of one child, one woman, one refugee. A warm meal, clean water, a bed to sleep in, a school. For a generation of kids, it means more than learning their A, B, Cs. It means hope for a future outside a refugee camp. A dream. These are the lives behind the abstract numbers in a spreadsheet of humanitarian funding.
As the first Commissioner to visit Syria since the fall of the Assad regime, I met with the new Syrian leader al-Sharaa, civil society, and humanitarian partners. My message for the Syrian people: the EU wants to work with you to build an inclusive Syria. The journey will be long, but we want to be right by your side.
EU Foreign Ministers’ recent decision to ease sanctions is a clear sign of our support for the transitional government. This is a strong signal that the EU has chosen to play a role in rebuilding the future of Syria. Just yesterday, UN humanitarian flights started again to Damascus, the result of my discussions with the Syrian leadership. We are delivering for the Syrian people.
I have also recently come back from Ukraine, where the humanitarian situation remains dire. I spoke with women and children in shelters. They had one message for me, for all of us: Don’t forget us. Don’t get tired of standing with us.
In the EU, we are not tired. We will continue our strong support because Ukrainians are fighting for their freedom. They are fighting for our values, our security, and our European future. I also saw Ukraine’s civil protection teams in action — innovating, adapting, never giving up. In the EU, we can learn a lot from the Ukrainians about preparing for new threats.
In Gaza, we welcome the ceasefire. Now it must hold. Access is starting to open up, and this is encouraging. But the needs are immense, and we must continue to be there to alleviate the suffering.
We cannot turn a blind eye to the bloody civil war in Sudan that has killed tens of thousands, displaced millions, and where famine has been declared. The lives of so many are at risk with aid supplies not reaching people in need. We are working with our partners for greater access. Too often, in conflicts, warring parties use access as a weapon of war. This must stop.
Dear ambassadors, you are the first face our partners see. You the first voice they hear when Europe extends a hand to the world. The voice of a trusted and reliable partner, always ready to engage, always ready to strengthen our partnerships, and always ready to forge new ones based on shared interests. We need your strong voice and your long experience. Together, let’s show the world that Europe not only speaks of a shared humanity — we act to defend it.
Source – EU Commission
Speech by Commissioner Šefčovič at the EU Ambassadors Conference 2025
Thank you, Ambassador Kramer,
Dear Ambassadors, Excellencies, Colleagues.
It is a pleasure to be here today and contribute to your week-long reflection on matters of high importance for the European Union. You’ve already heard this week from President von der Leyen, President Costa and President Metsola, amongst others – a tough act to follow but I’ll give it my best.
In your respective roles, you are the EU’s voice around the world. An increasingly important voice in the face of the geopolitical upheaval of today. So this afternoon I want not only to discuss trade and economic security, and their central place in our Union’s foreign economic policy.
But also the essential role of our Delegation network worldwide, and how we can ramp up your contribution even further. I very much look forward to hearing your thoughts on both these issues.
We live in uncertain times. The global economy is becoming increasingly fragmented.
The relatively balanced international relations of recent decades, where the world mostly played by the rules, lulled us into taking the stability we enjoyed for granted.
Europe must now be decisive if we are to retain our competitiveness, and secure our prosperity for future generations.
Carrying on with business as usual is not an option. When it comes to trade, the U.S. and China are understandably at the front of many people’s minds. So it is worth re-emphasising some of the facts around the EU’s position with regards to them.
First, on the U.S., we enjoy the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world. In 2023, our bilateral trade reached EUR 1.6 trillion. More than EUR 4 billion of goods and services cross the Atlantic every day. So it is clear to me that cooperation pays off. While across-the-board tariffs make everyone worse off. We therefore stand ready to engage with our U.S. counterparts and to negotiate in our mutual interest. But I want to be clear that the EU would respond firmly to any trading partner that unfairly or arbitrarily imposes tariffs on EU goods. We will act in our own interests, as President von der Leyen told you yesterday, while always keeping a level head.
Second, on China, where we are pursuing a more balanced trade relationship. While we continue to de-risk our economy, our markets remain open. But we insist on respect for the level playing field, and again, we will be assertive where needed. This is why we have taken measures on electric cars, for example. At the same time, I want to stress once more our openness to engage with China to discuss our concerns. In this context, it is more important than ever to forge reliable and mutually beneficial partnerships across the globe. Both for the EU, and for many of our partners. And we increasingly see others turning to the European Union because of our proven record of being a reliable partner and one that can be trusted.
This is a welcome development and one that serves our interests. But we need to ensure we are ready to deal with the new realities. For a start, we should be bolder in selling ourselves. We live in a more transactional time. The EU does a lot of good things around the world that tend to be overlooked, and we should fix that.
The same goes for coordinating our foreign policy actions. This is particularly important when thinking of Foreign Economic Policy, which encompasses:
- our trade relations;
- our international partnerships; and
- the external dimension of our efforts to ensure the EU’s economic security.
If we are smart about coordinating our policies and tools, our offer to the world is an excellent, mutually beneficial one.
For instance, we are now developing tools like our new Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships, which combine all three elements of Foreign Economic Policy in support of the EU’s overall competitiveness.
They should help us secure supplies of raw materials, and promote trade flows in clean energy and clean tech, by presenting an integrated and tailor-made offer to partners.
More broadly, we are seeing the fruits of our efforts to boost cooperation with partners. In the first two months of this Commission mandate, we finalised negotiations on the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, and concluded the talks on a modernised trade deal with Mexico.
We have also re-opened talks with Malaysia, while continuing trade negotiations with India, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, and others.
But while we double down on our global engagement, we need to be very mindful of the inherent risks that economic interdependence can entail.
Therefore, where appropriate, we need to de-risk, reindustrialise and protect the Single Market from the often-unfair industrial policies pursued by others.
Striking a balance between maintaining our openness and relentlessly building up our economic security and competitiveness is of key importance.
Here I see three priorities:
- First, we must have an in-depth understanding of the risks we face and devise mitigating measures on that basis.
- Second, we must be clear-sighted on when and how we use the tools at our disposal. The upcoming Economic Security Doctrine will reflect on this.
- Third, we must engage more with the rest of the world. This means deepening our cooperation with like-minded partners. But also talking to those with whom we don’t always see eye to eye.
All with a view to strengthen our economic security. Your role in this work, as in everything the EU does with the rest of the world, is crucial. So I want to end with a few words on where we can boost your impact on our work.
We know that fact-based and continuous risk assessment is vital for protecting our economic security. And we are currently enhancing the contribution of intelligence to deepening this risk assessment.
For this, we want to make the most of your work, of your eyes and ears on the ground, the networks you have established.
We are already working closely on an ad hoc basis with many Delegations in countries that represent higher risks for our economic security, and those that are facing similar risks.
We now want to build further on this and set up more structured ways of cooperation with all of you. That means making full use of all sections in Delegations and better leveraging what you as Ambassadors can achieve at your level.
Because I know the value you bring, and the unique viewpoint you hold. With that, I will finish, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Source – EU Commission
Speech by Commissioner Síkela at the EU Ambassadors Conference – panel on the EU as a Global Actor and a Partner of Choice
Thank you for inviting me, and especially for coming here to our Brussels headquarters to discuss our cooperation. I believe that effective, proactive collaboration between our headquarters and you—our representatives in partner countries—will become more important than ever in the years ahead.
Why? Because the world is undergoing multiple shifts, and we should take note of the following key points:
First, the risk of Europe losing its economic influence. We are a reliable and principled partner to Africa and we work hard to strengthen our cooperation. At the same time, we can see that China gradually closing the gap to become the Africa’s leading trading partner.
Second, the erosion of our political influence, as reflected in the growing number of countries that side with China or Russia on sensitive matters at the multilateral level.
Third, the reality that Europe’s global perception does not match its investments. Unfortunately, our analyses show that even though Team Europe is the world’s largest donor of official development aid, we are not recognized as the most influential or supportive, especially in the last two years. In some countries, Europe’s image is not positive at all.
And fourth, the rise of a more transactional world, evident not only in the actions of our rivals but increasingly in those of our friends as well.
I believe it would be disastrous not to address these challenges, as these developments have tangible consequences for Europe’s situation and stability. Voters feel increasingly uncertain, resulting in rising support for various populist or anti-EU forces. This is compounded by Russian aggression, its repercussions, and the use of disinformation to destabilize our society.
Two issues dominate: migration and the loss of competitiveness. But we must remember that to tackle both effectively, we need to work not only within our continent but also beyond—whether in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, or Asia.
To be able to face these challenges effectively, we have to change our approach to development cooperation. We must move rapidly from an inefficient donor-recipient approach and become much more assertive and focused on promoting European interests through mutually beneficial partnerships.
I realize that these changes are not easy, but they are necessary, and they also involve DG International Partnerships, whose work is undergoing a transformative reform. We must not forget one thing—there might be a reward waiting for us if we succeed and become more strategic and more agile.
I see in the current geopolitical context more demand for cooperation with the EU than ever before. Disappointment in what China promised (and then delivered), compounded by the Trump administration’s increasingly transactional stance on foreign relations, makes the EU a reliable and predictable partner – while we should not become the donor of last resort. We cannot afford it. The momentum is right for the EU to offer the right incentives to partners.
That is where the Global Gateway Strategy comes in. It brings together geopolitics, geo-economics, and partnerships. It is about concrete investments at the crossroads of what our partners want and what we want—and can—deliver.
We’ve started doing this, but now we need to take it to the next level. I have a clear mandate: to move Global Gateway from start-up to scale-up. To succeed, we need to make changes to the way we work:
- First, we need to cooperate more strongly with the private sector. They should be at the start of what we do, because without them we cannot deliver, and because it will allow us to connect Global Gateway with Europe’s industrial capacities and interests.
- Secondly, since we cannot do everything everywhere all at once, we need a focus on our real strategic interests. The strategic compass, the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal, and the ongoing work on economic security provide the pointers.
- Thirdly, in our engagement with our partners, we need to match our interests with theirs, reinforcing through investments their position in global value chains and green industrialization. That is the logic behind the concept of Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships.
- Fourth, all of this needs firepower that goes beyond the EU alone. That’s why Team Europe was created: to mobilize European Member States, banks, export credit agencies, etc., on priority projects.
- And finally, we must realize the limits of our budget and the size of the investment gap needed to be bridged to help our partners achieve their sustainable development. Therefore, we need strong involvement from the private international financial sector.
If we succeed, we will design a portfolio of investment projects that benefit both sides and bring us political recognition. This needs to be accompanied by a radical change in how we communicate in partner countries—by moving to a campaign mode to new audiences.
There are already more than 200 projects in over 100 partner countries where we are seen as the partner of choice, thanks to Global Gateway. For example, we are electrifying public transport in Costa Rica. On top of electric buses and trains, the San José area needs soft urban infrastructure like route planning and online ticket systems. Team Europe is providing a wide-ranging offer to help set up a sustainable mobility framework, together with the European private sector. During a recent Team Europe mission, the Vice President of Costa Rica said it was the best offer they had seen.
In Central Asia, we are working on the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. It aims to establish a modern, competitive, and sustainable route connecting Europe and Asia in no more than 15 days, boosting links between Europe and Central Asia and enhancing intra-regional cooperation. We are advancing on infrastructure and regulatory issues with Central Asian partners and supporting EU companies to invest in the corridor.
In Namibia, we have established a partnership on renewable hydrogen to facilitate investments, build capacity, and support higher education cooperation and research. Currently, there are seven projects by EU companies with an estimated investment volume of some 20 billion euros.
As I recalled last week in the European Parliament alongside Commissioner Lahbib, our offer is not a one-size-fits-all solution. I am also entrusted with building comprehensive partnerships that address the root causes and key drivers of irregular migration, support a differentiated approach towards countries in complex or fragile contexts, and promote effective multilateralism, including by leveraging Team Europe investments in global funds.
I think the reasons for the change are clear. I believe that I have also clearly described the concrete measures we need to take to accomplish it. And the consequences of not making the change—and the rewards for being successful—are equally clear.
Looking forward to our discussion, I would like to ask the following: How can you help scale up Global Gateway in partner countries? How can we work together to make this happen?
What I think we need is to be more efficient, professional, and specialized, to provide our companies—the backbone of the Global Gateway Strategy—with proper assistance and help them seek opportunities for their business.
Therefore, we are thinking of possible reorganization of the Delegation network, which I believe is one of the necessary prerequisites for strategically building mutually beneficial partnerships. It will allow us to deliver on the duty to scale up the Global Gateway Strategy and address the challenges we face, and it is also in line with the simplification agenda of the President.
One idea is to create centres with operational expertise to deliver on Global Gateway—covering areas like investment management, contract and finance, and strategic communication—while maintaining a core of INTPA staff in each Delegation. The key point for me is to have a clear chain of command so that I know who is steering, who is responsible, and how we can measure results.
However, the reality is that no decisions have been taken yet, and much of what has been written in the press does not reflect the current discussions. Also, I can assure you that whatever is proposed will go through the proper staff consultations and that any potential changes will be gradual. You can reassure staff that they will be fully involved before decisions are made on which hubs will be created, where they will be based, and what we expect from them.
Dear Ambassadors, whether we succeed in addressing these challenges could determine the future unity of the EU and its stability. However, the answer to this will be found as much on our own continent as abroad.
Therefore, I rely on you. Europe relies on you. And I very much look forward to our discussion about our future cooperation.
Source – EU Commission
(Work in progress)