How can mutual interests work for development?

This note draws on the ECDPM-Oxfam event on "The future of EU development cooperation: navigating trade-offs in a contested world", held in Brussels on 23 September 2026 as an associated event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU. The event brought together EU and member state representatives, partner-country ambassadors, civil society, the private sector, academia, think tanks, development finance institutions and international organisations to consider what an increased focus on mutual interests means for the future of EU development cooperation. The discussion comes as negotiations on the next EU multiannual financial framework (MFF) and the proposed Global Europe instrument are under way. Economic, geopolitical and security interests are playing a larger role in how Europe approaches international partnerships, reflected in initiatives such as Global Gateway, while development funding has faced significant cuts. The discussion focused on how these EU interests interact with development objectives and partner-country priorities in practice.