Working Better Together in a Team Europe Approach

Partnership and collaboration are at the heart of the Team Europe approach, in line with development effectiveness principles and a human rights-based approach. Inclusive and gender-responsive consultations – during design, implementation, and follow-up – are central to the entire Team Europe approach, which is also reflected in the NDICI-Global Europe and the Global Gateway strategy. 

Working Better Together taking a Team Europe approach is based on: (i) enhanced consultation; (ii) policy dialogue; (iii) identifying priorities for cooperation in line with partner country priorities; (iv) strengthening partnership dynamics; and (v) requesting and providing input and feedback. Other important issues are strategic and efficient collaboration through a division of labour and joint implementation, enhanced accountability to prevent corruption, and increased visibility and communication to position the EU in an increasingly contested multipolar world. 

The objective of consultation, policy dialogue and communication activities is to foster an inclusive, effective, legitimate and accountable human rights-based²⁹ and gender-responsive engagement between actors following a Team Europe approach and other relevant stakeholders in partner countries, to cooperate effectively in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Global Gateway and other initiatives, as well as the Member States’ development cooperation, should jointly advance towards this goal.

The Global Gateway strategy provides the framework for communicating EU and Member States’ support to partner countries in a Team Europe approach, positioning the EU in an increasingly contested multipolar world. Communicating the positive offer that Global Gateway represents should result in a paradigm shift in the way the EU and Member States are portrayed and perceived in partner countries.

29 See Annex 5.1 on the Human Rights-Based Approach