This annual activity report is a management report of the Head of Service of FPI to the College of Commissioners. Annual activity reports are the main instrument of management accountability within the Commission and constitute the basis on which the College takes political responsibility for the decisions it takes as well as for the coordinating, executive and management functions it exercises, as laid down in the Treaties.
In 2023, the operations of the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments contributed mainly to the Commission political objective “A stronger Europe in the World”. In line with the Mission Letter of HRVP Borrell, the Service is expected during the period 2020-2024 to focus mainly on the foreign policy aspects of this objective, working in particular to leverage the EU’s influence in the world, underpinning multilateralism and supporting global stability and prosperity, designing and delivering policy-driven action for conflict prevention and peace, linking the internal and external aspects of EU policies, promoting EU values and standards abroad, building alliances, and thereby increasing the EU’s capacity to act as an autonomous foreign policy actor.
The major challenge faced in 2023 was again the unprecedented Russian war of aggression against Ukraine which is taking place in an increasingly fragmented global environment. The European Peace Facility (EPF) has been instrumental in the provision of support to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. For actions under NDICI-Global Europe and the predecessor instruments5, the Service needs to constantly adapt its planning and implementation to
highly volatile operational contexts as well as maximise synergies and complementarities with other external action instruments and Member States‘ actions.