EU capitals demand transparency for Global Gateway spending

The 27 member states have formally requested clearer criteria for project selection, alongside regular reporting and rigorous monitoring of results. This push for oversight reflects growing frustration among both national governments and MEPs regarding the opacity of the program, which aims to mobilize over €300bn in infrastructure investment by 2027. Barry Andrews, chair of the parliament’s development committee, noted that despite the massive financial claims, the strategy remains largely invisible to the European public.

Brussels markets the initiative as a values-based rival to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, though it operates with significantly less capital. While China has deployed over $1.3 trillion into global infrastructure over the last decade, the EU’s flagship effort faces scrutiny over its internal accounting. A primary test case for the program is the Lobito Corridor, a rail project linking Angola to Zambia’s copper fields. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen maintains the project will slash transit times from 45 days to one week, serving as a critical bridge for both African development and European access to essential green-transition minerals.