Myriam Ferran, the deputy director-general for International Partnerships at the European Commission, is an engineer in agronomics by training with the ambition to work in external relations. After earning her master's in Brussel's, she worked in the French agricultural subsector before joining the commission in 2001. She held key roles under the enlargement agenda, including heading the units for Iceland, Serbia, and later Türkiye. In November 2021 Ferran shifted from enlargement to development, moving from her focus on accession to the new paradigm of international partnerships - previously known as international cooperation and development.

The name change of the DG already indicates a shifting approach of the European Union (EU) in its way of interacting with countries in the Global South. The EU remains the main global provider of official development assistance (ODA) in the world, accounting for 43% of all funding globally. Nevertheless, Ferran stresses that a growing issue has been the problem of a clear loss of visibility. The perceptions of most citizens (of recipient countries) are view other actors such as China, Russia, and Japan as the main providers. Naturally, it is hard to demonstrate how a limited EU intervention impacts the whole sector, however a more recent development that exacerbates this issue is the growing spread of misinformation.

In terms of the policy approach, Ferran illustrates how there has been a move from a "no strings-attached" method to a more conditional approach. Additionally, there is a move towards working with the private sector as Ferran states that public funding will never be enough to match the investment needs. An increase in foreign direct investments (FDI) will therefore be stimulated through de-risking private investment in accordance with the EU Competitiveness Compass, whilst pursuing the EU Global Gateway strategy. This aims to make the Union more strategically autonomous, safeguarding its own interest as it helps the development efforts of partner countries. An example mentioned regarding the EU's access to critical raw material is the Lobito Corridor, which connects Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to global markets. In response to questions regarding the priorities of "recipient" countries of the Global South, Ferran states that the EU programs enhance their attractiveness through a value-based approach which prioritizes comprehensive "big projects" that include creating the right infrastructure and training required for investments to have durable impact, something that is in the interest of partner states. Other questions addressed the impact of this conditional approach on the bargaining power of the EU vis- a-vis competing state actors such as China and the Gulf states. Here Ferran highlighted the need to look at this with less of a competitive view, as EU efforts are not exclusive and are often co-funded projects. Finally, students were curious about the impact of the dismantling of USAID on the sector. Ferran makes clear that the EU cannot fill this emerging gap for budgetary as well as political reasons, however it is looking into securing 'last resort' options for partners, particularly in the health and humanitarian field.

hosted by Professor Michael Leigh


Myrian Ferran has been Deputy Director-General for International Partnerships at the European Commission since November 2021. She oversees the regions of Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia and Pacific.

Ferran started her professional career in the French administration (1993-1990) and was member of cabinet in the French government in the Ministry of Environment (1999-2001). She joined the European Commission in September 2001 and worked in various capacities in the Directorate-General for Enlargement, as well as the DG for Transport and Energy, before joining the Cabinet of Olli Rehn, European Commissioner for Enlargement. She later worked as Head of Unit in charge of relationships with Iceland, Serbia and Turkey in DG Enlargement. Following this she was Director of Strategy and Turkey (2017-2021) in the DG NEAR ("Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations").