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OVERVIEW


What is it?



Global Gateway is the European Union's strategic response to an evolving global context. It recognises that remaining relevant to partner countries requires moving beyond the boundaries of traditional development cooperation and embracing a broader, more integrated partnership model. At its core, Global Gateway is about working better together—mobilising collective expertise, resources, and influence to deliver transformative and sustainable investments. The initiative aims to mobilise up to €300 billion by 2027. It builds upon established external financial instruments, notably the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance III (IPA III). In addition, it draws on other key EU instruments, including the digital and international components of the Connecting Europe Facility, Interreg, InvestEU, and Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation programme.
A central feature of Global Gateway is its use of de-risking instruments such as guarantees and blending, designed to leverage both public and private sector resources. By reducing investment risks, the EU can attract additional funding and foster meaningful engagement from a diverse range of stakeholders, ensuring that projects are both bankable and developmentally impactful.


Global Gateway thus reflects a strategic shift in the EU's external engagement anchored in partnership, geared toward long-term impact, and committed to creating better conditions for quality investments around the world.



It brings together the EU, its Member States, European financial and development institutions, and the private sector through a Team Europe approach to leverage investments for transformational impact. It is fully aligned with the UN's 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the Paris Agreement. 


What can it be used for?

Global Gateway is designed as the EU's strategy to deliver trusted and values-based infrastructure and development partnerships around the world.

Global Gateway is the EU's strategic investment framework designed to support partner countries through sustainable, high-impact infrastructure projects. It focuses on areas such as transport, energy, digital networks, health, and education—especially when aligned with EU priorities like climate action and digital transformation. It enables countries to transition toward green, climate-resilient economies, supports the development of secure and inclusive digital connectivity, and strengthens health systems and pandemic preparedness.

The initiative also deepens economic partnerships by fostering trade, investment, and private sector growth through regulatory alignment and financial cooperation. As a democratic and transparent alternative to global initiatives like China's Belt and Road, Global Gateway promotes EU values while mobilising blended finance and guarantees to de-risk private investments. Crucially, it also serves EU foreign policy goals by reinforcing sovereignty, stability, and democratic governance in strategic regions.

The EU's Global Gateway Strategy includes hundreds of sustainable and quality investment interventions. Interventions identified as flagships are prominent examples of the progress and deliverables of Global Gateway. They showcase the priorities of the Union, its Member States, and our partners, and contribute to strengthening our strategic partnerships and the promotion of our joint interests.



When can it be used?

Global Gateway comes into play when a partner country requests support for sustainable investments or infrastructure development to address global challenges. It is most effective in contexts where partner countries are seeking strategic investments in critical sectors such as energy, transport, digital connectivity, education, or health. The initiative delivers the greatest impact when these priorities align with EU values and global objectives, allowing for coordinated, high-level engagement.
Its effectiveness is further enhanced when EU Delegations, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), and Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) actively participate in designing and implementing initiatives. Through such collaboration, Global Gateway fosters coherent, high-impact partnerships that leverage the full range of EU instruments and promote sustainable, inclusive development.


What are its strengths?

Global Gateway strategically aligns the development priorities of partner countries with the European Union's broader geopolitical and economic interests, reinforcing the EU's role as a global leader in development cooperation. By doing so, it enhances the EU's influence in an increasingly competitive international environment, positioning it as a key actor in shaping the global development agenda.
Central to Global Gateway is the active engagement of the private sector. This inclusion promotes innovation, competitiveness, and resilience within partner economies while enhancing the long-term viability and impact of investments. By encouraging private capital participation, the initiative supports sustainable economic growth and expands the reach of EU-supported projects.
The initiative also ensures that all investments reflect and uphold EU values, including social inclusion, environmental responsibility, and good governance. It prioritises high-quality infrastructure development, applying strict environmental safeguards and fair labour standards to guarantee that projects are not only economically viable but also equitable and sustainable.
Global Gateway fosters enduring partnerships through inclusive cooperation between the EU, partner governments, and other key stakeholders. This collaborative approach builds mutual trust and shared ownership, contributing to lasting development outcomes that endure well beyond the project lifecycle.
Finally, the initiative is fully aligned with major international commitments, including the Team Europe approach, the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement. Through this alignment, Global Gateway ensures that EU-supported investments contribute to a coherent and coordinated global response to today's most pressing development and climate challenges.


What are its limitations?

The implementation of Global Gateway initiatives requires extensive collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders, including EU institutions, Member States, private sector actors, and partner countries. This level of collaboration can lead to delays and administrative burdens, as aligning diverse interests and resources across multiple entities can be complex and time-consuming.
While Global Gateway aims to deliver large-scale projects, the high costs associated with infrastructure development and the reliance on multi-annual EU funding cycles can limit the flexibility of project implementation. This dependence on long-term financial planning may hinder the timely execution of certain interventions, especially in cases where urgent responses are required.
One of the core challenges of the Global Gateway approach is striking the right balance between maintaining EU standards and addressing local contexts in partner countries. EU standards for infrastructure, environmental safeguards, and labor rights may sometimes conflict with the realities or priorities of the partner countries, requiring sensitive and often time-consuming negotiations to reconcile these differences.


PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Key Elements

Global Gateway is the EU's €300 billion investment strategy (2021–2027) to promote sustainable development, economic growth, and strategic partnerships worldwide. It targets six priority sectors: digital infrastructure, energy, transport, health, education, and research and innovation.

Investments are tailored to partner countries' needs through close collaboration with local stakeholders, ensuring relevance and ownership. Public-private partnerships play a key role, mobilising private capital and expertise to scale up impact. All projects adhere to high social, environmental, and financial standards, reflecting EU values and contributing to long-term, inclusive development.


Requirements

Data/information. Comprehensive data collection is a cornerstone of Global Gateway's success, ensuring that investments are well-targeted, feasible, and aligned with local priorities. This involves detailed assessments of a partner country's socio-economic landscape, existing infrastructure, environmental risks, and financial viability. Accurate data informs strategic planning and supports the design of impactful, context-specific projects. EU Delegations play a central role in this process by working closely with national governments, local ministries, and stakeholders to gather relevant and timely information. Their collaboration ensures that project planning is grounded in real-world needs and constraints.

Timeframe. The projects under Global Gateway will span from short-term interventions aimed at addressing urgent needs to long-term infrastructure projects that may take several years to complete. The timeframe for each intervention will depend on the scale of the project, the level of coordination required, and the specific context of the partner country.

Skills. EU Project Managers and Member State Experts work together to create detailed timelines for each project, ensuring that deadlines are met and adjustments are made where necessary. Monitoring and evaluation teams are responsible for conducting regular assessments to ensure that the projects stay on track and adapt to any emerging challenges.

Facilities and materials.



All initiatives are available in the Global Gateway Platform including Global Gateway flagship interventions. A full set of general information is available (investment priorities, location, SDGs, TE actors
Deliverables, indicative financial contributions and calendar are available

Financial costs and sources. Global Gateway will mobilise up to €300 billion by 2027, drawing from EU institutions, Member States, and international partners. This funding covers not only infrastructure and investment but also supports compliance, monitoring, and capacity building, ensuring that projects meet high standards and deliver sustainable, long-term impact.

Tips and tricks. 


Tips and tricks

Expanded Guidance

Engage early to align with local priorities

Initiate dialogue with partner governments, local authorities, and stakeholders from the outset. Early engagement ensures that projects respond to actual needs, gain local ownership, and are embedded in national strategies. This reduces delays and increases impact.

Maintain transparency and accountability

Ensure open communication about objectives, funding, responsibilities, and results. Use clear reporting mechanisms and stakeholder involvement to build trust and demonstrate good governance throughout the project lifecycle.

Leverage partnerships to maximise resources and expertise

Collaborate with EU Member States, development finance institutions, private sector actors, and international organisations. Pooling technical knowledge, financing, and local networks enhances project efficiency and scale, while encouraging innovation and shared responsibility.

Stay flexible to adapt to changing contexts

Design projects with built-in adaptability to respond to political, environmental, or economic shifts. Flexibility in implementation allows for timely adjustments and ensures project relevance in dynamic settings. Use monitoring data to inform necessary course corrections.



EU RESOURCES





For further information, any revision or comment, please contact INTPA-ICM-GUIDE@ec.europa.eu

Published by INTPA.D.4 - Quality and results, evaluation, knowledge management. Last update 13 May 2025

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