DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 09 October 2025
Team Europe reaches €300 billion target for Global Gateway investments ahead of time
Today at the opening of the Global Gateway Forum, President von der Leyen laid down her vision for strengthened partnerships in a radically changing global economy. With Global Gateway as the EU's external investment strategy, the EU has the power to lead this change. This determination is already delivering results and is outpacing its initial objectives. At the forum, the President announced that Team Europe – EU, Member States, and Development financing institutions - has mobilised over €306 billion in just four years, already meeting the target set in 2021. This was achieved two years ahead of the initial 2027 target.
European Commission President von der Leyen said: “With Global Gateway, Europe's investment strategy, we set an ambitious target of €300 billion by 2027. Along the way, it became clear that the world needs not just investments, but partnerships. Genuine partnerships based on respect, shared interests and long-term commitment. This is the essence and the success of Global Gateway. And today I am confident we will surpass €400 billion by 2027.”
The 2025 Global Gateway Forum, attended by 12 Heads of State and Government and over 70 Ministers from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, provides a unique platform to turn ideas into investment partnerships, and bring projects closer to their achievement.
In the current competitive and transactional environment, all countries face the same challenges: securing access to capital, resources and technology, reducing dangerous dependencies, and strengthening strategic autonomy. Against this background, the EU and partners countries must invest in diversification and reliable partnerships.
Today and throughout the Forum, President von der Leyen, together with High Representative Vice-President Kallas, Executive Vice-President Ribera, Commissioner Síkela, Commissioner Šuica and Commissioner Kos will echo a clear message: Team Europe is a reliable and transparent partner for strong partnerships based on values and shared interests, and this joint work delivers good results.
Global Gateway is delivering results across continents
Global Gateway is Europe's offer to partner countries, delivering both on national, regional and global challenges, but also on the EU's strategic interests. For instance, the EU has mobilised over €2 billion to upgrade transport infrastructure along the Solidarity Lanes between Ukraine, Moldova, and Member States, helping Ukraine export goods such as grain to international markets. Further, the Lobito Corridor in Central Africa will link Angola's Atlantic coast with Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. By reducing transport times from 45 days to just one week, the project will improve regional integration, lower emissions, and unlock opportunities for local industries and communities.
Similar partnerships are being advanced worldwide, ranging from the digital transition in Colombia and regional electricity integration in Guatemala, to digital connectivity in the Middle East via the MEDUSA Submarine Optical Fibre Cable, water security via the the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination, cultural heritage protection in Iraq, and clean energy projects in South Africa, Togo and Mauritania. They also include strategic port modernisation in Cabo Verde, as well as the development of new food and health value chains in Africa and the Caribbean.
Further progress with Global Gateway partners
At the Global Gateway Forum, tangible progress will be made with partners from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, EU's Neighbourhood and the MENA region to advance Global Gateway on several fronts and across continents. Leaders from countries such as the Angola, Armenia, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Grenada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mauritania, Rwanda, South Africa, will come together with key stakeholders from the private sector, civil society, thought leaders, financial institutions, and international organisations. Together, they will work to deepen cooperation and mobilise global investment in both hard and soft infrastructure, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth and resilience.
Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela added: “The success of Global Gateway shows a growing demand for partnership with Europe, that is based on reliability, transparency, and mutual benefit. This is a great opportunity for Europe and at this year's Global Gateway Forum, together with our partners, we are turning that demand into action, identifying new opportunities, expanding our cooperation, and proving that when Europe and its partners work together, we deliver real impact for both sides.”
Mobilising private capital
Over 150 top European companies are present at the Forum, alongside governments, development banks and export credit agencies. President von der Leyen stressed that public funds alone cannot meet the world's investment needs and highlighted Global Gateway's role in mobilising private capital. For this reason, the new Global Gateway Investment Hub will provide an entry point for companies looking for EU investment support through the Global Gateway in countries. Grants, concessional loans and guarantees are used to share risk and make projects viable for business.
Scale-up sessions to drive new investments
On the second day of the Forum, a series of Scale-up Sessions on Global Gateway flagship projects will take place, gathering governments, financial institutions, and private sector leaders. These sessions will focus on concrete investment commitments across key sectors, including:
ASEAN Power Grid
Scaling up hydropower potential in Central Asia
Lobito Corridor
EU Sustainable Cocoa Initiative
IMEC Digital Connectivity: Blue Raman
MAV+: Investing in Africa's health sovereignty through Strategic Partnerships
Regional electricity integration in Latin America and the Caribbean
High Performance Computing: Establishing an EU-LAC Supercomputing Network for AI
Global Gateway Green Shipping Corridors
Medusa Submarine Cable System
Expanding connectivity between the EU, Türkiye and the Eastern Partnership towards Central Asia
Powering renewable energy in Africa, in line with the objectives of the campaign launched by President von der Leyen and President Ramaphosa of South Africa.
A cooperation agreement between the European Commission and the World Bank Group will also be signed at the Global Gateway Forum.
Global Gateway
Global Gateway is the EU's external investment strategy to build smart, clean, and secure connections in the digital, energy, and transport sectors, as well as strengthen health, education and research systems globally. It fits the current geopolitical context by nurturing equal partnerships that increase strategic autonomy and resilience of Europe and partner countries alike. It is an attractive offer thanks to its sustainable investments. It is the EU's contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals beyond its borders.
For More Information
Global Gateway Forum
Quote(s)
With Global Gateway, Europe’s investment strategy, we set an ambitious target of €300 billion by 2027. Along the way, it became clear that the world needs not just investments, but partnerships. Genuine partnerships based on respect, shared interests and long-term commitment. This is the essence and the success of Global Gateway. And today I am confident we will surpass €400 billion by 2027.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The success of Global Gateway shows a growing demand for partnership with Europe, based on reliability, transparency, and mutual benefit. This is a great opportunity for Europe and at this year’s Global Gateway Forum, together with our partners, we are turning that demand into action, identifying new opportunities, expanding our cooperation, and proving that when Europe and its partners work together, we deliver real impact for both sides.
Jozef Síkela, Commissioner for International Partnerships
Faster and safer instant euro payments become a reality
From today, sending money across the euro area will be faster and safer than ever. Thanks to new EU rules on instant payments, people and businesses can now transfer money in euro within seconds, anytime – day or night, weekdays or weekends – whether within their own country or across the euro area.
Since January 2025, payment service providers (PSPs) in the euro area are obliged to offer their clients the possibility to receive euro instant payments. As of today, PSPs are also obliged to offer their clients the service of sending instant payments in euro and, in order to combat payment fraud in euro credit transfers, the service of payee verification (VoP). This makes instant payments more widely available, safer, and more affordable for everyone across the euro area.
Instant payments will boost Europe's economy and bring major benefits for citizens and companies. For citizens, money is available immediately, making it far easier to deal with emergencies or splitting bills in social settings. For companies, cash flow management will be improved, as will customer service: by providing an additional payment method to customers, they will save time and reduce costs.
What changes:
Money moves instantly: Transfers in euro will no longer take days – they will reach the recipient's account in seconds, at all times - nights, weekends and holidays included.
Same price as regular transfers: Banks and other payment service providers must not charge more for an instant payment than for a standard credit transfer.
Stronger protection against fraud and errors: Before a payment is made, providers must verify whether the name of payee (or recipient) matches the IBAN provided, helping people avoid mistakes and scams. This service shall be provided free of charge to the payer.
Lower costs to process payments: New rules also enable payment and e-money institutions to directly participate in payment systems, so they can provide their payment services, including instant payments, more efficiently.
Next steps
From January 2027, payment service providers outside the euro area will also be required to allow their clients to send and receive instant payments in euro and verify the beneficiary.
The Commission will closely monitor how charges for instant payments evolve and whether there are any other outstanding obstacles to the availability and use of instant payments, and will report to the EU co-legislators to ensure that they remain affordable and accessible.
Background
The Instant Payments Regulation (March 2024) updates the 2012 rules on euro credit transfers to reflect technological progress and the needs of citizens and businesses today.
The rules have been rolled out gradually to ensure a smooth transition for payment service providers. Since 9 January 2025, PSPs in the euro area are prohibited from charging higher fees for instant payments than those applicable to regular transfers. Additionally, providers that do not yet offer instant payments in euro have had to make it possible for their clients to receive them.
Link to Q&A on implementation of Instant Payments Regulation:
Link to Official Journal
Today marks a new era for payments in Europe. The Instant Payments Regulation will substantially improve the daily lives of our citizens and businesses by allowing them to send and receive payments instantaneously, round the clock. This will make transactions more secure, with payment service providers required to verify the intended beneficiary and send an alert to the payer in case of error or suspected fraud. We will monitor the concrete implementation in Member States so that everyone can fully benefit from these new rules
Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union
Commission provides new guidance to Member States on implementing Social Climate Fund and fulfilling Social Climate Plans
The European Commission has issued new guidance to help EU Member States effectively implement the Social Climate Fund (SCF) and complete their Social Climate Plans (SCPs).
Starting in 2026 and mobilising over €86 billion, the Social Climate Fund has been created to ensure the transition to a greener economy is fair and leaves no one behind, and to support vulnerable households and small businesses in their efforts to switch to cleaner energy and transport. It will use the revenues from the new emissions trading system for fuel combustion in buildings, road transport and additional sectors (ETS2) to help vulnerable people, small businesses, and transport users cope with the costs of the clean transition — especially in housing and transport.
Today's guidance document builds on previous Commission guidance and technical assistance to Member States by setting out a series of principles for implementing the SCF. It also provides practical advice to help EU countries deliver their Social Climate Plans (necessary to access funding) and implement them effectively so that support swiftly reaches those exposed to energy or transport poverty, and social fairness is guaranteed.
In addition, the integration of Social Climate Plans into National and Regional Partnership Plans will enable more targeted and effective investments, allowing Member States and regions to overcome their specific challenges. Furthermore, this new framework will streamline the use of EU funds, leading to more efficient implementation and a stronger focus on delivering the Fund's objectives.
Main principles for implementing the SCF:
Predictability: The Social Climate Plans set a payout value for each measure and investment. Payments will happen once the milestones and targets are achieved.
Performance-based payments: SCF funds will only be disbursed when milestones and targets are fully met. This ensures payments are tied to actual results.
Streamlined designation of authorities: Member States can rely on existing structures already used for Cohesion Policy programmes and the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), making implementation faster and simpler.
Inclusive governance: Member States should actively involve stakeholders, including regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society, to ensure the SCPs reflect needs on the ground.
Transparency and accountability: Member States and the Commission will use a single digital system to track and report on all measures, investments and beneficiaries. This provides transparency, clarity and trust in how funds are used.
Protection of EU financial interests: Member States must put in place strong safeguards to prevent, detect and address fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and double funding, protecting the integrity of SCF resources.
To receive funds under the Social Climate Fund, Member States have to incorporate the new ETS2 - legislation which is already in force - into national law. They must submit their Social Climate Plans to the Commission for approval, setting out their national measures and investments to support those most vulnerable. Once a plan is formally submitted, the Commission has up to five months to complete its assessment. Adopted plans will be announced by the Commission.
Member States will be able to submit their first payment request to the Commission as of 31 July 2026 provided they have implemented the approved plans, and agreed milestones and targets have been achieved.
The SCF is designed to bridge the current and next EU multi-annual financial framework (MFF). It draws on the lessons learned and best practices from the RRF and Cohesion Policy funds. Members of the College said:
The Social Climate Fund will provide significant financial support to the Member States to finance measures and investments identified in the national Social Climate Plans.
Running from 2026 to 2032, the Fund is expected to mobilise at least €86.7 billion, combining ETS2 revenues and Member States' contributions (at least 25% of the costs of their plans). The Fund will support the most vulnerable groups through structural measures and investments in energy efficiency, the renovation of buildings (e.g. insulation), clean heating and cooling (e.g. heat pumps), and integration of renewable energy (e.g. solar panels), as well as in zero- and low-emission mobility and transport, including public transport.
The Commission is working closely with Member States to facilitate the development of their Social Climate Plans and calls for their swift submission as the SCF kicks off one year before ETS2 starts operating in 2027. Two Member States (Sweden and Latvia) have formally submitted their plans to date, and more than half of Member States have shared draft versions. In this process, the Commission has provided regular exchanges since 2023 through the Commission's SCF expert group on climate change policy, and issued Guidance on the Social Climate Plans and technical guidance on the application of the Do No Significant Harm principle in March 2025.
Guidance on the implementation of the SCF
Website – Social Climate Fund[FO1]
Social Climate Fund Regulation
EU Emissions trading system for buildings, road transport and additional sectors (ETS2)
Guidance on the Social Climate Plans
DNSH technical guidance to the SCF
The Social Climate Fund will provide concrete support to people across Europe, to ensure a fair green transition. It will help vulnerable households and small businesses in practical terms - those who face higher costs for heating their houses or higher transport costs. Today’s guidance gives Member States the clarity they need to implement the Fund effectively. National authorities should work closely with regional and local authorities, social partners and civil society, so that support reaches those who need it most. I call on Member States to finalise and submit their Social Climate Plans without delay, so the Fund can be made available to support people.
Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness
A fair climate future means no one gets left behind. The Social Climate Fund helps vulnerable households and communities cope with the costs of the clean transition — especially in housing and transport. It’s essential that Member States plan to use the funding in the most impactful way for citizens, and the swift submission of each and every Social Climate Plan is now crucial to make it concrete on the ground. The guidance published today will support them in getting it right.
Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate Action
A Resilient EU budget Supporting Europe's Priorities
The Court of Auditors (ECA) published today its Annual Report, auditing the revenue and expenditure of the EU budget. The Commission welcomes the ECA's findings on the regularity of the implementation of the EU budget in 2024, which once again give the EU's annual accounts a clean bill of health – for the eighteenth consecutive year. As in previous years, the ECA confirmed that the collection of EU revenues was free from material error.
Significant milestones for the EU Budget in 2024
The EU budget is the backbone of the Commission's work, helping to deliver on all EU priorities. Since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU budget has provided unprecedented and comprehensive support to the country and its people. By the end of 2024, a total of €130.2 billion had been mobilised to deliver financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic assistance.
Moreover, the EU budget provided humanitarian aid to people in need in Gaza, with €237 million. This is part of the €2.5 billion delivered in humanitarian assistance to help address several crises in the world.
The budget continued supporting the climate transition. In 2024 only, climate-related actions prevented around 98 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from polluting our environment. This is thanks to the €662 billion supporting climate mainstreaming objectives, representing 34% of the total budget, surpassing the initial target of 30%, for the 2021-2027 period (including NextGenerationEU).
Among other achievements, the EU budget allowed over 2.2 million patients with rare conditions to access diagnosis and treatment in 24 European reference networks in 2024. Regarding the digital transition, additional capacity of 5000 terabits per second had been created by backbone networks, including submarine cables, deployed by the Connecting Europe Facility by the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, the implementation of the landmark NextGenerationEU recovery plan continued to drive the economic transformation of the EU, notably through support for investments and reforms in the Member States from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Lastly, 2024 saw the first-ever mid-term revision of the ceilings of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). This agreement was crucial to enable the EU to respond to new and pressing challenges, first and foremost Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Strong Controls and Targeted Actions Protect the EU Budget
The Commission has noted the ECA's adverse opinion on the regularity of spending under the MFF and its qualified opinion on Recovery and Resilience Facility expenditure. At the same time, it welcomes the significant decrease in the error rate calculated by the European Court of Auditors for 2024, which fell from 5.6% in 2023 to 3.6%, confirming a steady and continuous improvement in the management of EU funds.
The Commission also recalls that the estimated level of error reported by the ECA is not a measure of fraud, inefficiency, or waste, but a measure of the level of spending that is not fully in compliance with the applicable rules. In this regard, the Commission acknowledges that further improvements are needed and is taking action accordingly, including through its proposals for simpler and more harmonised financial rules under the next multiannual financial framework.
Furthermore, given their distinct roles as manager of the EU budget and external auditor, the Commission and the ECA apply different audit approaches and methodologies to measure the level of error. Efforts are being undertaken with a view to fostering a common understanding. For example, a series of joint workshops were organised in March 2025. The discussions acknowledged that the differences in the methodological approaches are inevitable, due to the distinct mandates. Nevertheless, the two institutions identified specific aspects where the alignment of methodologies might be possible as well as areas for improvement to achieve the shared aim of better protecting the EU budget.
Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of checks performed by national authorities, other partners, and the Commission itself, the Commission is well-informed about the risks to the EU budget and can take targeted actions to address them:
For cost-based programmes, the Commission aims to keep the final level of error below 2% when those programmes are closed, with all checks and corrections completed. This was achieved again this year.
For performance-based programmes, such as the 2023-2027 common agricultural policy (CAP), the Commission's controls focus on the proper functioning of the governance systems put in place in Member States. For the CAP, the Commission concluded that Member States' systems are functioning well overall.
To protect the EU budget, the Commission continues to use preventive and corrective tools, such as interrupting and suspending payments and applying financial corrections when issues are detected. In 2024, the Commission and Member States implemented preventive and corrective measures amounting to €2.66 billion.
With its 2028–2034 MFF proposal adopted in July 2025, the Commission proposed robust and harmonised audit and control rules to ensure a high level of protection of the EU budget, while reducing administrative burden and making EU funding simpler and more accessible for beneficiaries.
The publication of the Annual Report of the ECA, and the presentation of the Integrated Financial and Accountability Reporting (IFAR) package to the European Parliament, kicks off the annual 'discharge procedure', taking stock of the financial management and achievements of the EU budget in 2024. The IFAR package includes five reports from the Commission that offer a comprehensive look at how the EU budget was used.
Factsheet: Delivering on results and protecting the EU budget in 2024
Integrated Financial and Accountability Reporting 2024
Annual management and performance report 2024
Official website of the European Court of Auditors
Statement by President von der Leyen on the announcement of an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages
I welcome the announcement of an agreement to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, based on the proposal put forward by President Trump.
I commend the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye in achieving this breakthrough. I am also encouraged by the support of the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Now, all parties must fully uphold the terms of the agreement. All hostages must be released safely. A permanent ceasefire must be established. The suffering must end.
The EU will continue to support the swift and safe delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. And when the time comes, we will be ready to help with recovery and reconstruction.
Today's opportunity should be seized.
It's the opportunity to forge a credible political path toward lasting peace and security. A path firmly anchored in the two-state solution.
***
The statement is also available online.
Keynote speech by President von der Leyen at the Global Gateway Forum
“Check against delivery”
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the second Global Gateway Forum. It has been four years since we launched Global Gateway. In that time, the world has changed profoundly. We are now well into an era of highly competitive and transactional global politics. Tariffs and trade barriers are back as a tool of geopolitics and geoeconomics. Export controls have become a tool of statecraft, to damage competitors and extract concessions. Dependencies are weaponised. Including those created by unsustainable foreign investments – which have left too many countries burdened with unsustainable debt. Faced with this reality, advanced economies, emerging markets, and developing nations are asking the same urgent questions: How do we build strategic strength at home? How do we break free from dependencies? How do we diversify our partnerships and make them reliable? And how do we ensure access to the capital, the resources, and the technology we need to thrive?
We are all adapting to the realities of this new economy. We are trying to strengthen our autonomy in strategic sectors – from clean energy to artificial intelligence. These are the building blocks of the new global economy. They will enable us to compete, to sustain our industries, to secure lives and livelihoods, and to determine our own future. This is true for all of us in this room. But we also recognise that independence does not mean isolation. Value chains are too complex and too global to go it alone. The way forward is through partnerships. Partnerships based on common interests and respect for sovereignty. That is what unites us here today. That is Europe's approach. Like you, we recognise that our strength relies on diversifying our relationships. That is why we are expanding our network of free trade agreements. In the last year alone, we have reached new trade deals with Mercosur and Mexico. We secured an initial agreement with Indonesia. We are now in talks with India and want to conclude before the end of the year. We are advancing with Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates – and others. All these agreements are designed to boost economic security on both sides. And we are taking a similar approach to international investment with Global Gateway.
Global Gateway is about mutual benefits. Our initial goal was to mobilise EUR 300 billion in five years. But today, we have already hit that target. In four years, we have already mobilised more than EUR 306 billion. And I am confident we will surpass EUR 400 billion by 2027. This shows what we can achieve when we align our strategic priorities, and channel investments to where they have the greatest impact. When we do so, we strengthen our economies and secure our autonomy.
We want to work with you to focus Global Gateway even more on key value chains – energy, clean tech, digital, critical minerals, transport, food and health. In all these fields, our goal is to combine our strengths. To build up resilient value chains together. With local infrastructure, but also local jobs, local skills, and local industries.
The Lobito Corridor in Central Africa is already an example of what this looks like in practice. This transport artery links Angola's Atlantic coast to the mineral heartlands of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It will cut the journey from the centre of the continent to the port from 45 days to just one week. And by removing 5,000 heavy-duty trucks from congested roads, it will significantly reduce carbon emissions. But the Corridor is about far more than infrastructure. It is mobilising over EUR 1 billion not only for railways and roads, but: For agricultural value chains in Angola, the DRC and Zambia. For modern logistic hubs to bring products to market. For vocational training, to ensure that local people benefit from new jobs. It is about the critical raw materials that are so vital for our strategic industries. Not just for Europe's needs – but with local processing and added value. The Lobito Corridor is a strategic investment for both Europe and our African partners.
This is not a one-off story. We have similar projects with all of you here today – from investments in Colombia's digital transition, to regional electricity integration with Guatemala. From clean energy projects in South Africa, Togo, and Mauritania, to sustainable transport links in Nigeria. From modernising strategic ports in Cabo Verde, to supporting Rwanda's rise as a regional hub for vaccines and biotech manufacturing. This is the breadth and depth of our partnership. The aim is to build greater resilience, competitiveness, and common strength, together. That is the essence of Global Gateway.
As the world changes around us, too many critical projects still struggle to secure financing. Governments cannot bridge this gap alone. Lasting development depends on the engagement of the private sector, with their funding and know-how. Global Gateway makes grants, concession loans, and guarantees, to share the risk and to make projects viable for business. We have seen that this approach works. With support under Global Gateway, private sector investments are already strengthening Africa's health and food sovereignty. They are turning harmful algae in Grenada, Barbados and the wider Caribbean into new industries and value chains.
I am pleased that over 150 top European companies are represented here today, alongside public authorities and financial institutions. Because we want to see greater engagement between our partner countries and our private sector. This cooperation does not just deliver public goods, it means sustainable jobs, growth and prosperity that far outlast the initial investment. So, we want to make this engagement as straightforward as possible.
We have heard from business that you want to be involved earlier in the process. Not just in implementation, but in shaping priorities and identifying strategic projects. That is why we are launching today the Global Gateway Investment Hub, a single-entry platform for companies to propose investments. A place where Member States, development banks, export credit agencies, and businesses come together to craft coordinated offers. Together, we can deliver – solid returns for investors, strategic value for Europe, and lasting benefits for our partners.
This Forum is a not only a moment to showcase how we work together under Global Gateway. It is a moment to listen, and to reflect on how we can strengthen it further. How we can scale up concrete projects and create greater investment opportunities. This room is full of future partners. To the CEOs and investors here today: your perspective is vital. Tell us what will unlock new projects, and give you the confidence to take them forward. And to our partner governments: We are in this together. So, tell us where your priorities and ambitions meet ours. Tell us where we can combine efforts, to deliver on our shared potential. Because Europe is here and ready to work with you, to deliver a future we want to share.
Thank you and I look forward to a productive forum.