European Parliament's rejection of Development Financing Report sends alarming signal to the world's most vulnerable

The Renew Europe Group expresses disappointment following the European Parliament's rejection of the report by Renew MEP Charles Goerens (DP, Luxembourg) on the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). This regrettable outcome could undermine the Seville conference (30 June - 3 July).

At a time when an unprecedented financing gap of €4.3 trillion annually threatens the Sustainable Development Goals, this rejection sends a harmful message to the world's most vulnerable populations who desperately rely on European solidarity.

“It is deeply disappointing that the report did not receive the support of the plenary, especially ahead of the Sevilla conference. Despite our efforts to build a strong and forward-looking position, the text was significantly weakened by conservative amendments, stripping out references to the EU's key achievements in development aid. In the face of urgent global challenges, the EU must show leadership and ambition. Failing to adopt a common position is a setback—not just for our credibility, but for our partners around the world who look to Europe as a reliable force for development aid." stated the rapporteur Charles Goerens.

With the United States having suspended its development aid programmes through USAID and traditional donor states reducing their contributions, the European Union stood as the last messenger of hope for international development cooperation.

The decision undermines the legacy of Financing for Development conferences, which have established the global consensus on sustainable development financing. The rejection jeopardizes critical progress on Official Development Assistance targets, debt relief frameworks, and financial reforms.

In light of today’s outcome, Charles Goerens has announced his refusal to represent the European Parliament at the Seville conference. "I cannot in good conscience represent an institution that has just abandoned its commitment to the world's poorest populations through political maneuvering and extremist alliances" Charles Goerens stated.

This represents a historic missed opportunity. Europe had an unprecedented opportunity to establish itself as the guardian of a sustainable development model.

Renew Europe calls on European leaders to recognise the gravity of this failure and work urgently to restore Europe's position as a champion of global development. The world's most vulnerable populations deserve better than political calculations and extremist alliances.