EIC participates in Autumn Plenary of Global Gateway Business Advisory Group
The Meeting’s main objective was to agree on the contributions of the five sectoral BAG Sub-Groups – i.e. Transport, Climate & Energy, Digital, Education & Research, and Health – for the upcoming BAG High-Level Meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, scheduled for 08 October 2025.
In preparation of the BAG Plenary Meeting, EIC collaborated closely with the Members of the BAG Transport Sub-Group to convey a joint message that the EU legislator needs to urgently modify the eligibility rules for EU funding to better protect European content and European interest.
In subsequent talks with Commission officials from both DG INTPA and DG ENEST, EIC underlined the need to review especially the eligibility criteria for projects that are co-financed by the EU Commission with European Development Finance Institutions (so-called Blending operations) or are implemented in indirect or direct management with such institutions. Currently, both the 'NDICI Regulation' (EU) 2021/947, which established the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe), and the Regulation (EU) 2024/792 establishing the Ukraine Facility stipulate a primacy of the eligibility rules of Development Finance Institutions over the EU’s own eligibility rules.
The BAG Plenary further asked the EU Commission to use its influence on the European Development Finance Institutions so that they integrate better the aspects of ‘Strategic Procurement’ in their infrastructure tenders. EIC called upon 'Team Europe' financiers to follow the good examples set recently by the World Bank and in the near future by the Asian Development Bank which both require a minimum 50% quality weighting in the tenders that they are financing.
The BAG Plenary also endorsed a new 'Investment Hub' to be launched at the Global Gateway Forum 2025 which will open a new communication for the private sector with DG INTPA to apply for, receive, structure and implement Global Gateway investments in partner countries requiring EU support.