How ECDPM supports EU council presidencies

Dossier 19 March 2025

Authors

ECDPM

ECDPM plays a crucial role in providing expertise and support to the rotating presidencies of the European Union: supporting 16 presidencies in the past two decades. This work spans a wide range of aims to ensure a smooth implementation of the presidency's agenda.

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As part of a new video series featuring ten ECDPM experts on our 2024 highlights, Karim Karaki describes our recent work with the Belgian presidency, its successes and why presidencies choose to work with ECDPM.

Key aspects of ECDPM's support

Ex-ante engagement: ECDPM engages with upcoming presidencies early on to understand their priorities and help shape their agenda. This involves identifying key issues and potential challenges to ensure a well-prepared start to the presidency.
Providing expertise and capacity: Throughout the presidency, ECDPM offers expertise and capacities on a diverse set of topics. This includes providing inputs, papers, and analysis to inform the presidency's work. In the case discussed, key areas of support included Africa-Europe relations, sustainable food systems, and reframing the narrative around health to include economic and geopolitical dimensions.
Strategic positioning: ECDPM assists the presidency in better positioning themselves on key issues. This involves helping to craft political messages and ensuring effective implementation strategies.
Facilitating engagement: ECDPM's work also serves as a means to connect with various stakeholders, including African institutions, fostering dialogue and understanding.
Focusing on impact: A key objective of ECDPM's support is to ensure that the presidency's work is impactful and leads to tangible outcomes. This involves not only providing research but also offering advice based on real-world challenges and opportunities. ECDPM aims to be a "think and do tank".
Being provocative and asking key questions: ECDPM can play a role in raising important questions and highlighting areas where further thinking or follow-up is needed, for example, in the context of development finance and the Global Gateway.
Market intelligence: Staying up-to-date with relevant information and market intelligence is a continuous aspect of the support provided.
Cross-cutting themes: ECDPM's support often addresses cross-cutting themes such as development finance, the Global Gateway, and the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).

Looking ahead

ECDPM continues to engage with upcoming presidencies, such as the Danish presidency, to help shape their priorities and ensure that key issues remain on the EU's agenda. The focus remains on providing impactful support that contributes to effective policy-making and strengthens the EU's engagement with its partners, particularly in Africa.