50+ CSOs Send Letter to Commissioner Síkela Regarding Concerns Over Global Gateway

Last December, the Council of the EU endorsed 46 Global Gateway flagship projects for 2025, following Commission President von der Leyen’s strategic guidelines to scale up the initiative despite its numerous flaws.

The Global Gateway strategy aims to address global challenges, help improve people’s lives around the world, and to promote the EU’s own geopolitical and commercial interests by using the bloc’s development budgets. It continues to reflect the ‘billions to trillions’ agenda for development and climate finance – an approach with a dubious track record in the Global South. To do so, this strategy uses intransparent financing mechanisms – guarantees and blending – to mobilise private profit from “development”, promoting infrastructure privatisation, public service commercialisation, and a liberal reform agenda for business opportunities.

50 civil society organizations have joined in sending to Commissioner Síkela highlighting concerns and the following demands:

• Suspending harmful agreements, such as the one between the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, and Rwanda regarding critical raw materials.

• Increased transparency by publishing data on project beneficiaries, debt assessments, and project selection processes.

• Ensuring that Global Gateway projects prioritize human rights, environmental sustainability, and local development benefits over private profit.

• Committing to meaningful engagement with civil society and local communities to ensure genuine, anti-colonial development.

• Focusing on grants and concessional funds for climate finance, rather than turning it into a business opportunity for the corporate sector.

Read the letter and signatories here: Civil Society Letter – the Global Gateway