The Partnership Instrument: Advancing the EU Policy Agenda Worldwide
One of the great privileges that we have in the EU Delegation to the US is working with colleagues not only from across the EU but also based in our many Delegations across the world. My role at the EU Delegation to the US is to develop and manage projects, events, and initiatives under the Partnership Instrument, a relatively new external financing instrument of the EU. I recently returned from a working visit to Brussels where I met with my colleagues who work with me on this Instrument. Before describing my visit in more detail, a quick primer on the Partnership Instrument.
The Partnership Instrument (PI) facilitates cooperation between the EU and countries around the world on a number of shared global challenges. The PI is a uniquely flexible mechanism at the EU’s disposal to translate political priorities and commitments into concrete actions with four objectives:
1) Developing common approaches to global challenges such as climate change, energy security, and the environment;
2) Building sustainable, smart, and inclusive economic growth under the Europe2020 strategy;
3) Growing trade, investment, and EU companies’ access to third country markets; and
4) Increasing visibility and understanding of the European Union and its global role through public diplomacy and education.
In the US, we have used the Partnership Instrument for a range of initiatives including to organize a flagship conference on the implementation of the COP21 Paris Agreement, further grow the EuroChallenge competition for American high school students, support the teaching, study, and research of the EU across American universities, and to raise awareness among communities across the United States through our “Getting to Know Europe” programme.
Whilst in Brussels, my colleagues and I got the latest policy updates and political priorities from senior EU officials (including the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service, Christian Leffler) to help guide our thinking as we implement current and develop new programs. The most useful part of the visit was meeting with colleagues who work on the Partnership Instrument in Headquarters and in Delegations. It was really inspiring to learn how colleagues across the world were accomplishing really impressive things, from running high-level policy dialogues with the government and civil society (Brazil), to helping European businesses access the local market organizing business delegations (China and South Korea), and working to facilitate the development of clean energy production (India).
But those of us who work on the Partnership Instrument don’t do without a lot of help and input from colleagues across the European institutions. I took advantage of my time in Brussels to meet with colleagues from the Directorate General for Education and Culture who manage the EU’s popular and very well-known Erasmus+ program and who follow international cultural policy; I also met colleagues from the European External Action Service who cover the United States, contacts in the European Parliament who monitor the Partnership Instrument, and our counterparts from the US Mission to the EU who also work to deepen the transatlantic relationship.
The highlight of my trip, though, was meeting some of the next Fulbright Schuman students and scholars at the residence of the US Ambassador to Belgium. These distinguished individuals, with the support of the EU’s Partnership Instrument and the US Fulbright Commission to Belgium & Luxembourg, will be spending a year in the United States teaching, doing research, and studying the EU and the transatlantic relationship.
Putting aside all of the administrative aspects of my job, developing and managing Partnership Instrument programming, these Fulbright Schuman recipients reminded me of the importance of our ongoing work at the EU Delegation to increase ties and cooperation between the US and the EU, who are indispensable partners for each other and arguably for the rest of the world as well.
By Tim Rivera (T: @TimRivera), Program Officer at @EUintheUS
