Understanding EU financing for external action

To achieve its external objectives and priorities, the EU needs financial means in adequate proportions. Its global role and impact are defined to a great extent by the scope of its resources, but just as importantly by their efficient and coordinated use. This paper aims to examine the structure of the EU external financing in the 2014-2020 MFF and the agreed changes for the upcoming post-2020 period. It gives a general outline of the main financing instruments and mechanisms along with the multiple actors involved, while also underlining the complexity of the architecture and highlighting the proposed changes and main trends for the future of financing the EU's external action.