Global Gateway – past impacts and future orientation

The European Parliament adopted by 371 votes to 146, with 80 abstentions, a resolution on Global Gateway - past impacts and future orientation.

Stocktaking, strategic objectives and vision

The Global Gateway was established on 1 December 2021 with the aim of becoming the EU’s flagship framework in the field of sustainable connectivity and global investment and as an alternative to China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Members believe that Global Gateway should become a long-term strategy based on a whole-of-government model. They welcomed the shift from a donor-recipient model to partnerships based on equality, while stressing that the focus should be on smart investments in quality infrastructure that meets high social and environmental standards and is aligned with the EU's interests and values, including the rule of law, human rights, and relevant international standards. Coordination with international institutions, private sector involvement, and tailored strategic communication, including in recipient countries, are essential for the instrument to reach its desired scale.

Parliament noted that the projects were selected using an overly centralised approach, without sufficient stakeholder involvement, and that it is important to favour a demand-driven approach, which therefore meets the needs of partner countries.

According to the resolution, the Global Gateway should remain anchored in the primary objective of EU development cooperation, namely the reduction and long-term eradication of poverty.

The Commission is invited to establish clear and transparent methods for assessing the development impact of Global Gateway strategy interventions financed by EU Official Development Assistance (ODA) and involving EU private sector actors.

Geopolitical importance of the Global Gateway

Parliament called on the EU to strengthen its strategic position through the Global Gateway strategy by offering a sustainable, transparent, and democratic alternative, consistent with the EU's fundamental values, to competing infrastructure models and initiatives. It further urged the Commission to promote the Global Gateway as a sustainable alternative to aggressive initiatives by rivals such as China and Russia, whose support has often proven to have serious long-term negative consequences, including huge debt dependence.

Members are concerned by reports that several projects under the Global Gateway are being carried out by Chinese companies, in direct violation of the initiative’s objective of presenting an alternative to the Belt and Road Initiative. They are therefore calling for an immediate investigation to identify all Chinese companies participating in the Global Gateway.

Parliament stressed the need to prioritise investments in energy, critical raw materials, and the green transition to reduce the EU's dependence on foreign competitors, including in renewable energy networks, clean hydrogen corridors, and sustainable transport, thereby strengthening both global sustainable development and the EU's energy independence. It further called for enhanced digital sovereignty and trusted connectivity, as well as the promotion of democratic digital standards globally.

Investments under the Global Gateway should be aligned with existing EU due diligence processes, be open and beneficial to local and regional market players and civil society, and help close infrastructure and inequalities gaps. The Global Gateway strategy should also include water-related projects and policies.

Development cooperation

Parliament highlighted the potential of the Global Gateway as an impactful tool for mobilising the funds needed to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It stressed that the EU's development cooperation must continue to support partner countries in situations where the Global Gateway is unable to adequately address their needs.

The Global Gateway projects should continue to support the strengthening of global preparedness against threats to health, agriculture, education and training development, equality and inclusion, and protection against exploitation and child labour. The resolution also emphasised several priorities: promoting the creation of decent, accessible, and sustainable jobs; strengthening scientific and educational cooperation; combating corruption; improving access to finance; fostering the participation of SMEs; and increasing the involvement of local and regional authorities in projects.

Noting that ‘Global Gateway’ projects are present in several heavily indebted poor countries, Members stressed that the projects must avoid exacerbating debt and called on the EU and its Member States to reduce and alleviate the debt burden for developing countries, particularly those in the Global South, by supporting global debt relief and restructuring.

Governance

Parliament recommended revising the governance structure of the Global Gateway strategy and demanded more concrete participation on an equal footing with Member States. It proposed that the Global Gateway Board become the central operational body responsible for implementing the strategy, selecting flagship projects, and ensuring they have the appropriate framework and funding. Members suggested guaranteeing regular and transparent participation from representatives of the European private sector and ensuring meaningful consultation and participation of the dialogue platform with civil society and local authorities on the Global Gateway.

Trade and investment promotion

Parliament stressed that the Global Gateway should, for projects having a trade and investment dimension, enhance and facilitate mutually beneficial trade and investment relations, notably by developing and opening new trade routes and economic opportunities, including for SMEs, and by supporting the development and modernisation of trade-enabling infrastructure. Lastly, it called on the Commission to conduct an impact assessment of the European Fund for Sustainable Development and the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, which should form the basis of the next Global Europe Fund, intended to support the Global Gateway in the next multiannual financial framework