During the December plenary, EESC discussed the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, emphasizing the importance of impact assessments as the foundation of this EU strategic autonomy effort. They proposed an increased role for EESC in decision-making regarding Global Gateway development projects. This initiative, introduced a decade after China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), could contribute to the EU’s geopolitical stability, but its funding remains uncertain. EESC highlighted the significance of impact assessments for sustainable and democratic development in partner countries and expressed concerns about EU-funded projects potentially deviating from standard monitoring processes. EESC aims to play an active role in the decision-making process and advocates for regular meetings between the Global Gateway Committee and CSOs to ensure transparency and local stakeholder involvement in the strategic initiative. Read more here.
Source: EESC