Reef Saudi bazaar celebrates rural heritage with traditional crafts and strong public turnout    Over 2.5 million attend Khatm Al-Qur'an prayers in Makkah    Interior minister visits Grand Mosque operations center    Saudi Arabia prepares over 19,000 mosques and open-air prayer grounds for Eid Al-Fitr prayers    World's largest barbershop opens at Clock Towers Center in Makkah to serve pilgrims    Saudi non-oil exports jump 10.7% in January    Rubio says US revoked visas of over 300 foreign students in campus crackdown    Canada PM declares end of 'old relationship' with US amid tariff dispute    King Charles cancels Birmingham visit after brief hospital stay for cancer treatment side effects    Australia to hold federal election on May 3 as Albanese battles Dutton for second term    Saudi creatives shine at Jeddah's Fawanees Nights with art, fashion, and storytelling    OMODA&JAECOO Accelerate Global Expansion JAECOO J8 records strong first month orders in Saudi Arabia, J5 prepares for launch    LOT - The Value Shop makes its grand debut in Hafar Al-Batin    100 Thieves claim Marvel Rivals Invitational NA crown as 2025 scene heats up    T1 CEO confirms Gumayusi's return for LCK Spring after lineup shakeup    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Saudi Arabia hold Japan to goalless draw in Saitama to stay in World Cup hunt    Disney's Snow White film tops box office despite bad reviews    NewJeans announces hiatus after setback in court battle    George Foreman, heavyweight champion and cultural icon, dies at 76    Court rules against K-pop group NewJeans in record label dispute    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



EU plans to slash 80 development offices abroad amid refocus
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 01 - 2025

The European Commission's department for international partnerships is undergoing a strategic downsizing of its worldwide offices in a shift of focus under the new mandate of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) is planning slashing more than four in five of its hubs worldwide — reducing from around 100 delegations to 18 hubs — according to a document seen by Euronews.
The internal document from the European Commission gives the reasoning behind the decision taken and implementation details, without giving a timeline for the proposed cuts.
Euronews asked the European Commission for comment, without receiving a reply at the time of publication.
"The current set-up is not fit for the purpose of delivering on Global Gateway and its investment packages, and developing portfolio linked to the growing importance of the external dimension of EU policies and its impact on the partner countries (Green Deal, migration, security," the document cites among key reasons for the changes.
Two sources told Euronews that the switch is designed to concentrate decision-making in Brussels rather than in its regional branches.
Budget constraints and changing geopolitical priorities are touted as reasons for the Commission to centralise the DG to bring it more under the control of headquarters in Brussels, the sources said.
"In some countries where the portfolio and the perspectives do not require a full section, no INTPA staff would be deployed and operations would be piloted from the relevant INTPA Budget Implementation Hub," the document said.
The directorate general for international partnership (DG INTPA) — currently under the leadership of the Czech Commissioner Jozef Síkela — is responsible for formulating the EU's international partnerships and development policies. Roughly 25 years ago, the European Commission delegated the DG's work to offices in around 100 hubs worldwide.
But INTPA's work abroad has "basically disappeared" according to one of the sources, who said that there is now a change of focus from cooperation and local development, towards fostering trade relations and business activities.
"It is essential to move to portfolios that are more strategic and less fragmented and an optimised resource allocation across multiple countries," the document said.
"The current INTPA operating model is based on the de-concentration process of 25 years ago, whereby INTPA staff are distributed across 'cooperation sections' within 100 Delegation worldwide," according to the document, adding: "This model no longer meets the needs for increased strategic focus and operation agility."
The DG handles the EU's Global Gateway, a European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world, for which €300 billion of investments for sustainable projects has been allocated for the period 2021-2027.
The drastic reforms would reduce worldwide hubs to 18 strategic hubs. Those offices are located in Africa, Asia and Latin America/Caribbean, including in some African countries where a strategic presence for migration management has been established. For instance, INTPA will maintain its offices in Ghana, Senegal, and Ethiopia, with a particular emphasis on migration, according to the document. These countries are among the most common nationalities of asylum seekers arriving in Europe via irregular routes.
Another drastic change for the division touted in the document is for its activities to be placed under the management of the European External Action Services (EEAS), the EU delegation offices under the leadership of the EU top diplomat, the ex-Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. — Euronews


Clic here to read the story from its source.