The role of development cooperation in unlocking the full potential of the Global Gateway

Global Gateway stands as the EU’s commitment to narrowing the global investment gap on a worldwide scale. During the first Global Gateway Forum, the Practitioners’ Network for European Development Cooperation (PN) was invited to participate in a high-level panel on Global Gateway and private sector mobilization. The PN, represented by Jérémie Pellet, Expertise France CEO and current PN President, presented the PN position paper on “The role of development cooperation, Europe’s differential added value for external action and international partnerships, in unlocking the full potential of Global Gateway”. 

This position paper asserts that the PN and its Members emerge as key actors in Team Europe's implementation of the Global Gateway strategy. PN Members involvement aims to enhance the impact and sustainability of Global Gateway investments through various means: 

• Identification, formulation, and implementation of effective and sustainable programmes. 
• Sharing and building public sector expertise, including engaging in peer-to-peer institutional collaboration. 
• Strengthening favorable regulatory, policy, and business environments and building capacities at both central and decentralized levels in partner countries. 
• Contributing to the visibility and ownership of Team Europe and Global Gateway through providing inputs and implementing strategic communication and joint narratives. 

The Global Gateway strategy, launched by the European Commission in 2021, has set an ambitious goal of mobilizing up to €300 billion in investments. This initiative brings together the European Union, its Member States, financial and development institutions, and the private sector. The strategy focuses on intelligent investments in high-quality infrastructure, adhering to the highest social and environmental standards, in alignment with the EU’s core values such as the rule of law, human rights, and international norms and standards. 

In the current geopolitical landscape, the Global Gateway strategy, coupled with the Team Europe approach and the EU roadmap to enhance the European Architecture for Development, forms the basis of a revitalized European development cooperation system. This system is strategically designed to expedite the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, align with the Paris Climate Agreement, and prioritize the delivery of EU strategic objectives. 

A significant milestone was reached on March 17, 2023, as the Association of bilateral European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), the Joint European Financiers for International Cooperation (JEFIC), and the PN collectively endorsed a Statement of Intent. This statement outlines the roles and collaboration strategies of these three networks, which collectively represent a majority of European financial and technical cooperation entities. 

For further details, the complete position paper can be accessed here.