Global Gateway — EU's End Game

Change policies of third countries

This is what the EU calls the "360-degree approach."

Provide finance and loans

Then make sure that investment in hard infrastructure goes together with sectoral reforms and a regulatory environment to provide a long-term favourable policy environment to European companies.

A classic case is the Vaccine initiative. This is being used by the EU to "identify qualitative obstacles to scaling up the pharmaceutical sector" and develop academic cooperation, and link up businesses through a new Business Forum.

Target the minds of citizens, not governments

A brand, served by a new approach to strategic communication centred around campaigning to people rather than governments. A single Global Gateway brand and visual identity helps project an image of confidence, reliability and sustainability.

The idea?

• Make the Global Gateway the new face of European branding, and a regular fixture on the international scene on critical issues surrounding global connectivity.
• The new College should move to a full political campaigning approach through campaigns with local influencers in local languages — making the connection between people's concerns and aspirations and the partnership that the EU brings. This also requires a serious investment in political engagement in partner countries backed up by investment missions with the private sector. It will also require an overhaul and professionalisation of the way the EU Delegations communicate.

Create European firepower

Team Europe means joining forces, pooling resources and combining expertise and tools. The firepower exists. Using its collective power, the EU and its Member States account for 30% of all UN funding, 25% of the World Bank's capital, and 33% of the IMF's assets. Team Europe can also be an important visibility instrument.

Promote European standards abroad

Going forward, there remains significant potential that could be tapped into. The practice of Team Europe could serve more traditional channels of EU coordination, and enable louder EU representation where our voice remains subdued, in line with the Lisbon Treaty. Going beyond funding, it could also help structure our normative engagement and nurture a more strategic culture of cooperation. It should thereby be instrumental in promoting our core internal policies.

Ringfence Africa

The continent is rich in renewables (e.g. it hosts 60% of the world's best solar resources) and minerals (e.g. over 70% of the world's cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of the Congo), but it lacks investments (e.g. only 2% of global investments in clean energy are made in Africa), sufficient refining capacity, and is hugely exposed to climate change, despite contributing just 3% of global carbon emissions. To deliver on its geopolitical priorities, Europe needs Africa as much as Africa needs Europe. And to advance EU interests at the multilateral level, collaboration with African partners, representing about one-fourth of UN members, is key. Africa, conscious of its potential, is in the market for (non-exclusive) partnerships to pursue the objectives outlined in its African Union Agenda 2063. This translates into a battle of narratives and offers. Over the past years, a number of African countries, in particular in the Sahel, have decided to discontinue cooperation with the EU or some of its Member States.

Maximise impact for Europe and show its members that the EU can deliver results

These include actions (a) at national level, such as fostering vaccines production in Rwanda, Senegal, Ghana, and South Africa; developing raw materials value chains in Zambia, DRC and Rwanda; and advancing green hydrogen in Namibia and Mauritania; (b) at regional level, such as developing the Lobito Corridor in Angola, Zambia and DRC.