What is Global Gateway?
Global Gateway is a new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. The European Commission and the EU High Representative launched it in 2021.
Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments through a Team Europe approach, bringing together the EU, its Member States and their financial and development institutions. It seeks a transformational impact in the digital, climate and energy, transport, health, and education and research sectors. The focus is on smart investments in quality infrastructure, respecting the highest social and environmental standards, in line with the EU’s interests and values: rule of law, human rights and international norms and standards.
Principles and values
6 core principles are at the heart of Global Gateway, guiding the investments
- democratic values and high standards
- good governance and transparency
- equal partnerships
- green and clean
- security focused
- catalysing the private sector
Global Gateway is the EU’s contribution to narrowing the global investment gap worldwide. It is in line with the commitment of the G7 leaders from June 2021 to launch a values-driven, high-standard and transparent infrastructure partnership to meet global infrastructure development needs. Global Gateway is also fully aligned with the UN’s Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Areas of partnership
Global Gateway supports our partners and closes the global investment gap in the areas of
- digital (supporting open and secure internet)
- climate and energy (supporting investments to achieve clean energy transition)
- transport (supporting green, smart and safe transport)
- health (strengthening supply chains and local vaccines production)
- education and research (investing in high quality education, focusing in particular on girls, women and vulnerable groups)
A Team Europe approach
Global Gateway is being rolled out in a Team Europe approach with the European Commission, European External Action Service (EEAS), EU Member States, as well as with financial institutions, the private sector and other non-governmental organisations.
The approach will facilitate full-scale mobilisation of political stamina, technical expertise and financial resources.
Sources of financing
EU and EU Member States will mobilise infrastructure development investments of up to €300 billion in the years 2021-2027.
This includes up to €135 billion worth of investments made possible by the EU and €145 billion of planned investment volumes by European financial and development finance institutions, complemented by grant financing.
European Fund for Sustainable Development +
Our new and main risk-sharing instrument for the period 2021-27 is the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+). It will be 10 times bigger than its predecessor, the EFSD, applied globally, and driven by 2 principles
- policy first
- country-driven approaches
It will cover €53 billion in guarantee volume for this period and is expected to leverage up to €232 billion of sustainable investments. Additional financing will be provided by grants to development finance institutions who will combine these, or ‘blend them’, with loans.
Under the EFSD+, the Commission uses ‘blending’ in sectors, markets and operations where the guarantee does not address the relevant bottlenecks. These can be both public and private sector operations.
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital - digital connectivity infrastructure
Digital technologies play a key role in our economy and society, allowing online interaction and new ways of living, working and doing business. These technologies require the appropriate infrastructures to function.
Despite the growing need for connectivity, there still is a significant gap in private and public funding for digital connectivity infrastructure. The Connecting Europe Facilitysupports Global Gateway investments devoted to safe, secure, and sustainable high-performance infrastructure.
Supporting green investment
The EU will also support partner countries by helping them develop and scale up their markets for green bonds - financing arrangements where the issuer commits to using the proceeds to fund projects promoting the environment and sustainability.
Why Global Gateway?
Many countries need a trusted partner to design sustainable, quality projects and ensure projects are implemented in a transparent way, do not create unsustainable levels of debt and deliver lasting social and economic benefits to local communities.
Global Gateway is that positive offer.
Related links
Global Gateway on the main European Commission website