Team Europe Initiative on Water, Energy and Climate Change in Central Asia as flagship initiative of Global Gateway
“The linkage between water, energy, and climate change is at the core of Central Asia’s sustainable future. Through the Global Gateway - Team Europe Initiative, the European Commission coordinates the efforts of EU Member States and European financial institutions to boost regional cooperation and investments, including on the Kambarata and Rogun hydropower projects. Meaningful progress for our planet depends on our collective and coordinated action — it is a goal we must pursue together,” underlined Charlotte Adriaen, Head of Unit Central Asia and Afghanistan, DG INTPA, European Commission.
“GIZ hosts the TEI Technical Secretariat, and one of our key tasks is to facilitate dialogue among TEI members to strengthen synergies. We hope that today’s meeting will serve to continue the EU-Central Asia dialogue, allowing us to advance innovative approaches to cooperation on efficient use of water resources, renewable energy and climate adaptation - fully in line with the national development priorities of Central Asian countries, relevant regional strategies, and the key policy directions of the European Union.” – noted Dr. Caroline Milow, Manager of the regional programme EU4SustainableCentralAsia: Joint Action and Coordination on Water, Energy and Climate Change, GIZ.
The first TEI Steering Committee focused on aligning joint priorities and activities on water, energy and climate change across the five Central Asian countries. The meeting contributed to enhancing dialogue and coordination amongst the EU, Central Asia and international partners, strengthening partnerships and mobilizing resources to expand joint efforts.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Water, Energy and Environment of each Central Asian country, as well as representatives of the European Commission, EU Member States participating in the TEI and other international stakeholders.
Background
* The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.
* 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 to strengthen health, education and research systems in partner countries. The Global Gateway strategy is implemented in a Team Europe approach bringing together resources of the EU, Member States, European financial institutions and national development finance institutions. It actively seeks to mobilise private sector finance and expertise and support access to sustainable finance.
*The Team Europe Initiative on water, energy, and climate change (TEI WECC) in Central Asia emerged as a flagship endeavour under the EU Global Gateway framework, showcasing the European Union's commitment to addressing key challenges in the region. Aligned with the broader objectives of the Global Gateway, this initiative represents the EU's contribution to narrowing the global investment gap by fostering values-driven, high-standard, and transparent infrastructure partnerships.
The TEI initiative strategically focuses on the interrelated issues of water, energy, and climate change, recognizing their profound impact on the sustainable development of Central Asia. To ensure coherence and strategic coordination among TEI partners, a working group was established. The TEI working group enhances cooperation between the EU and Central Asian countries, as well as coordinates and supports information exchange. It provides recommendations on water resource management, sustainable energy transition, and climate change adaptation and mitigation, in preparation for the TEI Steering Committee at deputy-minister level.
The TEI is supported by the technical Secretariat hosted by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the frame of the EU-Germany co-financed project EU4SustainableCentralAsia: Joint Action and Coordination on Water, Energy and Climate Change.
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