European Union

Learn about European Union’s partnership with GPE.

Partner since
2008
GPE focal point
Sabine Terlecki
Grant agent in
Coordinating agency
Lao PDR, Malawi, Myanmar, Niger, Somalia
Board constituency
Donor 5
Pledge for 2021-2025 replenishment
EUR700,000,000*
Total contributions to GPE
US$1,203,421,181

*This pledge covers the period 2021-2027.

The European Union and GPE

The European Commission is a long-standing and highly important partner for GPE.

Since joining the partnership in 2008, the European Commission has significantly increased its financial commitments to GPE, becoming the second largest donor to the fund, both cumulatively and with regards to its pledge at GPE’s 4th replenishment in 2021, for which the European Commission pledged €700,000,000.

The European Commission sits on the Executive Committee of the GPE Board. European Union donors and the European Commission are represented on 4 of the 6 donor seats on the Board of Directors. Taken together, their combined contributions to GPE represent 52% of total donor contributions.

The European Commission has made a political commitment to spend at least 10 % of the budget for development cooperation under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework to support access to quality education in developing countries.

The European Commission hosted the second GPE replenishment conference in Brussels in 2014.

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnership. Credit: European Commission
The EU and Member States account for half of the global support to education and as Team Europe our contribution to the GPE will be a testimony that education must be at the heart of the recovery, with a particular attention to girls.
Jutta Urpilainen
European Commissioner for International Partnership
June 2021

In focus

GPE welcomes largest ever pledge from European Union and contributions from Canada and Switzerland

GPE welcomes largest ever pledge from European Union and contributions from Canada and Switzerland