At the 2025 edition of the “Cities and Regions for International Partnerships – Localising Global Gateway” Forum, Jesús Gamallo Aller (ES/EPP), Director-General for External Relations and Relations with the European Union of the Regional Government of Galicia, chaired the plenary session on “The 360-degree approach in practice”.
Gamallo underlined that the success of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy hinges on the active involvement of local and regional authorities (LRAs): “None of this is possible unless local and regional authorities are fully on board. We are the level of government that knows the real needs on the ground, and we are the ones best placed to ensure the sustainability and long-term impact of these projects.”
He stressed that the 360° approach to Global Gateway must go beyond pure investment and technical assistance, and be rooted in subsidiarity, decentralised cooperation and multi-level governance. This includes systematic consultation, transparency, institutional strengthening, access to funding and strong multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Drawing on Galicia’s experience, Mr Gamallo highlighted two concrete examples of decentralised cooperation in practice:
• support for water management and climate resilience in Mozambique, building on Galicia’s long-standing expertise in water resource management;
• sustainable fisheries and aquaculture initiatives in Peru, implemented by the Galician Foundation for Technological Support in cooperation with Peruvian national authorities, focusing on the fisheries value chain, governance and climate adaptation.
These projects, he underlined, show how regions can work hand in hand with the private sector and partner LRAs to prepare the ground for future investments and maximise their sustainable territorial impact.
“We want to move beyond traditional models and build genuine, balanced partnerships with our counterparts. This is the core of the Global Gateway and its 360-degree approach – giving the European project a new direction in the way we engage in international development cooperation.” Gamallo concluded.