Answer given by Ms Urpilainen on behalf of the European Commission
6.6.2023
The list of specific Global Gateway (GG) flagship projects for 2023 was published on 1 March 2023[1]. GG projects are also included in the investment packages for Africa[2] and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,[3].
More GG projects were announced for the Indo-Pacific[4] and Central Asia[5]. Another GG investment agenda is planned to be launched at the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit in July 2023. GG projects have been identified by the Commission/European External Action Service (EEAS), with Member States together with partner countries.
GG is mainly implemented through Team Europe Initiatives (TEIs). The principles and criteria for assessing TEIs include support to transformative impact, contribution to objectives and targets under Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation instrument — Global Europe and alignment with development needs and priorities of partner countries[6].
GG aims to boost infrastructure in partner countries taking into account their capacity to sustainably manage and maintain infrastructure while not creating unsustainable debt or unwanted dependencies.
In its 2021 Trade Policy Review Communication[7], the Commission announced its intention to work on the possible launch of an EU export credit facility and on enhanced coordination between EU level external financing streams and Member State export credit agencies and development finance institutions; this work is also referenced in the GG Communication.
On 11 April 2023, the Commission and the EEAS services adopted a Joint Staff Working Document[8] with further details on how enhanced coordination can be put into practice, for example by launching a limited number of pilot initiatives. Discussions on a potential EU export credit strategy will continue during 2023.
- [1] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/publications/global-gateway-2023-flagship-projects-infographics_en
- [2] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/stronger-europe-world/global-gateway/eu-africa-global-gateway-investment-package_en
- [3] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/international-summit/2022/12/14/
- [4] https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/news-and-events/news/commissioner-urpilainen-highlights-global-gateway-opportunities-eu-indo-pacific-forum-2022-02-22_en
- [5] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/uzbekistan/samarkand-eu-central-asia-connectivity-conference-global-gateway_en?s=233
- [6] The identification of GG flagship projects also considered the readiness of deliverables for the year 2023 and the importance of combining hard infrastructure with regulatory elements in transformative packages.
- [7] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2021:66:FIN
- [8] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8157-2023-INIT/en/pdf