Publications

Making Global Gateway Work: Reflections on the Impact so far and the Future of the Initiative Towards the Indo-Pacific

by Hildegard Bentele MEP, Dr. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Olimpia Kot, Marcin Jerzewski and Jacob Mardell

Launched in 2021, the EU’s Global Gateway aims to combine strategic ambition with sustainable partnerships worldwide. The initiative seeks to turn Europe’s financial and regulatory tools into instruments of global influence while adhering to principles of transparency and cooperation. This compendium examines its implementation, regional engagement, and lessons from global infrastructure initiatives to inform Europe’s strategic presence.

Less paperwork, greater presence. Why Global Gateway disappoints on the ground.

By Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy

This study, written by Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy and commissioned by the Multinational Development Policy Dialogue of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Brussels, examines why the Global Gateway falls short on the ground in ASEAN countries. It looks more closely at case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Chasing Convergence: The EU's partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and implementation of the GG Initiative

Marcin Jerzewski and Olimpia Kot from the European Values Center for Security Policy Taiwan Office

This study examines the concept of Global Gateway and its implementation in Fiji and Vietnam, analyzing connectivity, development partnerships, and opportunities for EU engagement. It also explores Indo-Pacific convergence with key partners and provides targeted policy recommendations to enhance regional collaboration and strategic visibility.

25th EU-China Summit in Beijing

A Sobering Anniversary

The 25th EU-China Summit on 24 July in Beijing took place under difficult circum-stances: although it marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the EU and China, there was little sign of enthusiasm in the run-up to the event. The dif-ferences are too great – both in geopolitical terms and in economic and trade policy. As generally expected, no major breakthroughs were achieved on the numerous con-tentious issues. There were hardly any signs of a readjustment of relations, as desired by the EU. Nevertheless, both sides adopted a joint statement on climate issues and agreed to find a solution to the impact of Chinese export controls on rare earths.

Third EU-AU ministerial meeting in Brussels

New impetus for the anniversary?

On May 21, the foreign ministers of the European Union and the African Union met for the third time in Brussels. The aim of the meeting was to take stock of the progress made since the sixth EU-AU summit in February 2022 [1] . Both sides also wanted to explore how the partnership can be further deepened in the face of global challenges. The adopted declaration gives an idea of the potential for cooperation. However, it cannot hide existing differences on key issues such as migration. To ensure that cooperation is not limited to solemn declarations and ambitious announcements at summit meetings, it was agreed to set up a monitoring mechanism.

A renewed dynamic in Central Asia-EU relations

Samarkand Summit

The first joint summit of the EU leadership with the heads of state and government from five Central Asian countries on 3 and 4 April in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) sent a strong political signal to enhance relations between both sides. The high-level meeting was the culmination of increased efforts by the EU in the past years and months to re-engage with the region. The joint declaration is an example of the more pragmatic and (primarily economic) interest-based approach of the EU in its partnership policy following the start of the new European Commission end of 2024.

Lessons from China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Strategic Pathways for the EU’s Global Gateway

by Jacob Mardell

Over a decade since its launch, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) remains widely misunderstood. This report cuts through the noise: the BRI is less a grand strategy, more a decentralised, narrative-driven vehicle for advancing Chinese interests. The report asks what the EU can learn—and what it should avoid—as it shapes its own Global Gateway.

The EU and its global partners in a new legislative period

Leveraging its power or struggling to deliver?

When it comes to the relations with its global partners, the re-elected Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has formulated high ambitions: the goal is to “leverage” the EU’s “power and partnerships”. When in 2019 she dubbed her first commission as a “geopolitical” one, this appeared as a bold and – for some – controversial choice of words. With two major conflicts in the EU’s immediate neighborhood and an increasingly fragile global environment, strengthening ties with global partners seems no longer to be a choice, but a vital necessity of the EU. While the EU is only at the very beginning of the new legislative period, policy guidelines, hearings, interviews and not least the new setup of Commission, Parliament and Council allow an idea about the future priorities and strategies from Brussels towards the world. While a complete turnaround of the EU’s strategy with its global partners seems unlikely, some shifts are to be expected: more (interest-driven) pragmatism, more prioritization and an attempt to forge more equal partnerships.

Geopolitics and Connectivity Take the Center Stage at the First EU-GCC Summit

The first ever EU-GCC Summit on 16 October 2024 served as a pivotal moment for both the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), emphasiz-ing mutual interests in economic growth, security, and energy cooperation. Two areas dominated the discussion: on the one hand finding common ground on pragmatic cooperation, particularly in the field of energy and connectivity, on the other hand finding common language on a number of current regional conflicts. While the number of concrete deliverables of the meeting has been limited (which was to be expected) and much work still lies ahead, the summit as such is remarkable signal. Both sides decided to meet every two years at heads of state level, the next meeting is to take place in Saudi-Arabia in 2026.

Fostering Security: NATO’s Reflection on the Southern Neighbourhood

In its 75th anniversary year, NATO is gearing up for its next Summit in Washington D.C this July, gathering leaders from all 32 Allies alongside presumably a large contingent of dignitaries from partner countries. The agenda promises a diverse array of discussions, with an expected significant focus on Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine. However, beyond these pressing matters, other crucial issues will also be addressed. At the previous Vilnius Summit, held last summer, NATO Allies initiated a process to launch a comprehensive reflection process of the Alliance's relationship with the ‘Southern Neighbourhood.’ This reflection process aims to produce tangible proposals in time for the upcoming Summit. The reflection pro-cess is partly consistent of an external report written by experts that have been appointed by the Secretary General. However, this report is merely a part of the larger reflection process taking place internally.