On 20 June 2024 representatives of the European Commission, the EU Delegation in Rome and FAO held the third monitoring exercise to take stock of their strategic, long-standing cooperation to enhance food and nutrition security. Marjeta Jaeger, Deputy Director General from Commission’s DG INTPA opened the meeting, highlighting the importance of the EU-FAO cooperation as part of the EUs Global Gateway strategy. Carla Montesi (Director at DG INTPA) and Alexandra Valkenburg (Head of the EU Delegation to Rome) further described the (policy) framework for cooperation while FAO Deputy  Directors Beth Bechdol and Maurizio Martina gave further insight into the wider portfolio of joint activities. Participants gave an update on main initiatives and achievements of joint efforts in the areas of (1) Food systems and One Health, (2) Climate Change, Biodiversity and Natural Resources, (3) Food crises, food security and resilient livelihoods (4) Sustainable agri-food value chain investments and policies and  (5) Digitalisation of  food systems. These themes are key to advancing the transition towards sustainable and resilient agri-food systems and promoting dynamic rural areas. The presentations showed in a tangible manner the breadth of existing cooperation between the EU and FAO. We welcome the joint work on knowledge and data sharing, standard setting along with the development of guidelines and strategies, as well as the project funding to reach our common objectives. Looking forward, EU and FAO representatives raised the need to step up collaboration with Commission’s Joint Research Center and other UN agencies as well as to look into new ways of mobilising and pooling resources. Overall, the monitoring exercise provided a valuable basis for or next year’s high-level strategic dialogue that will take into account the orientations of the new Commission.