Europe's Response to Global Connectivity Efforts
With "Global Gateway", the European Union launched a strategy at the end of 2021 aimed at improving global connectivity. The goal is to sustainably develop global infrastructure, particularly in developing countries, through public and private investments. The focus areas include digitalization, energy, transportation, as well as health, education, and research.
Unlike the Chinese "Belt and Road Initiative," sustainability plays a pivotal role in Global Gateway: for example, the strategy supports investments in renewable energies, green transportation systems, digital infrastructure, and smart cities. At the same time, collaboration between the EU, its member states, partner countries, and the private sector is set to be strengthened to jointly tackle global challenges.
Overall, the EU and its member states aim to mobilize investments of up to 300 billion euros by 2027. For the German private sector, opportunities might arise in the form of simplified market access, new sales markets, and business partnerships if Global Gateway is implemented in a practical manner.
Demands for Practical Implementation
From the perspective of the business sector, the EU should:
- ... enable the private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to access the initiative,
- ... involve the private sector in decision-making committees,
- ... create SME-friendly funding instruments,
- ... ensure the flow of information and guarantee transparent reporting,
- ... establish single-points-of-contact/one-stop-shops,
- ... provide a networking platform for SMEs to form consortia,
- ... reduce bureaucracy in tendering procedures,
- ... ensure a sustainable financing plan for Global Gateway from 2028 onwards.
More Information
- The EU Commission's Global Gateway website is available at:
commission.europa.eu - The Federal Republic's foreign trade agency Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) provides comprehensive information on its website about Global Gateway:
Special on www.gtai.de - A review of a DIHK-GTAI webinar with practical experiences on Global Gateway can also be found
at www.gtai.de
- Relevant in topic:
- International Trade and Market Access
- Key areas:
-
- Foreign Trade
It has been translated with the assistance of AI.
No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or completeness of the translation.
Released 29.09.2026
Ansprechpartnerinnen
Sandra Zwick
Director European Policy and EU Foreign Trade Promotion
Katharina Wittke
Director for South and Southeast Asia, Pacific